– On Tuesday, November 26, 2024, Sultan Al-Arada, a member of the Presidential Leadership Council and Governor of Marib, met with a delegation from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) led by Martin Vandrell, the Coordinator of the Institutional and Economic Resilience Project in Yemen (SIERY). The discussions focused on upcoming projects and interventions in the region, according to Yemen's official news agency Saba.

During the meeting, Al-Arada highlighted the deteriorating humanitarian and living conditions in Yemen, particularly in Marib, which is grappling with numerous challenges due to a high population density and ongoing waves of displacement, along with weak infrastructure.

He urged the UNDP to "increase the scale of its humanitarian interventions and projects" to support government and local authorities in addressing the growing humanitarian needs and alleviating the worsening crisis across the country.

Al-Arada emphasized the importance of expanding the SIERY project, which aims to assist local authorities and enhance their capabilities to ensure the continued provision of essential services to citizens and facilitate recovery across various sectors in line with priorities outlined in the humanitarian response plan for the upcoming year.

In response, Martin Vandrell explained that the visit to Marib is part of a field tour covering several provinces to monitor the implementation of UNDP projects, particularly the SIERY initiative. He also mentioned the assessment of critical needs based on local authorities' priorities for delivering essential services and enhancing their responsiveness to citizens' needs.

Vandrell noted that the project primarily focuses on local economic development and fostering partnerships with the private sector to address three main challenges: the influx of displaced persons, slow economic development to keep pace with population growth, and increasing emergency assistance needs.

Additionally, the SIERY project aims to promote gender equality and empower women and youth by ensuring their participation and integration into various project components, recognizing the social and cultural barriers they face, according to the United Nations.