عائمةٌ قبالة ساحل البحر الأحمر في اليمن، تتدهور حالة ناقلة النفط العائمة(صافر) بشكل سريع، حاملة أربعة أضعاف كمية النفط التي تسربت من إكسون فالديز. يمكن أن تنهار الناقلة أو تنفجر بأي لحظة متسببة بكارثة إنسانية وإيكولوجية تتركز في بلدٍ أنُهك خلال سنوات من الحرب. سيؤدي هذا التسرب إلى أضرار بيئية دائمة وتكاليف اقتصادية عميقة في جميع أنحاء المنطقة. كما سينتج عن تعطل حركة الشحن عبر مضيق باب المندب وقناة السويس خسائر تجارية تقُدّر بمليارات الدولارات يوميا.ً
تعهد المانحون بسخاء بتقديم 95 مليون دولار للخطة التي نسقتها الأمم المتحدة لنقل النفط إلى ناقلة بديلة آمنة طويلة الآجل. تم استلام 77.5 مليون دولار من التمويل في ديسمبر 2022. ومع ذلك، ارتفعت أسعار استئجار أو شراء ناقلة مناسبة لتخزين النفط خلال الستة الأشهر الماضية وذلك بسبب العوامل المتعلقة بالحرب في أوكرانيا. في 9 مارس، وقع برنامج الأمم المتحدة الإنمائي اتفاقية لشراء ناقلة بديلة مناسبة، ولكن لا تزال هناك حاجة إلى مزيد من التمويل. إذا تم سداد فجوة التمويل البالغة 34 مليون دولار للمرحلة الطارئة من العملية بسرعة، يمكن أن يبدأ العمل في الربع الثاني من عام 2023. خلفية تم صناعة (صافر) كناقلة نفط ضخمة في عام 1976م ليتم تحويلها بعد عقد من الزمن إلى وحدة تخزين وتفريغ عائمة  (FSO)، ترسو هذه الناقلة على بعد حوالي 4.8 ميلاً بحريا قبالة ساحل محافظة الحديدة في اليمن، وتحتوي على ما يقدر بنحو 1.14 مليون برميل من النفط الخام الخفيف.
تم تعليق عمليات الإنتاج والتفريغ والصيانة للناقلة في عام 2015 م بسبب النزاع. تدهورت السلامة الهيكلية للناقلة بشكل كبير. كما تشير جميع التقييمات إلى أن السفينة غير قابلة للإصلاح ومعرضة لخطرتسرب النفط. قد تتفكك الناقلة أو تنفجر بأي وقت لأن الأنظمة اللازمة لضخ الغاز الخامل في الناقلة توقفت عن العمل في عام 2017 م.
سيتجاوز هذا التسريب النفطي الهائل القدرة والموارد الوطنية على التعامل معه بالفعالية اللازمة. ثمن تسرب كمية هائلة من النفط تقُدّر تكلفة التنظيف وحدها بمبلغ 20 مليار دولار أمريكي. سيدمر التسريب الضخم مجتمعات الصيد وأسرهم على ساحل البحر الأحمر اليمني – لكل نصف مليون شخص يعملون في صيد الأسماك، هناك 1.7 مليون عائل – يمكن أن تنتهي مائتي ألف من السُبُل المعيشية على الفور، كما ستتعرض المجتمعات بأكملها للسموم التي تهدد الحياة. يمكن أن يُغلِق هذا الانسكاب النفطي الكبير مينائي الحديدة والصليف المجاورين – وهما ميناءين مهمين لجلب الإمدادات الغذائية والوقود والإمدادات المنقذة للحياة إلى بلدٍ يحتاج فيه 17 مليون شخص للمساعدات الغذائية.
إن التأثير البيئي لتسرب نفطي كبير على المياه والشعاب المرجانية، أشجار المانغروف والحياة البحرية المتنوعة سيكون شديدا.ً يمكن للنفط المتسرب أن يصل إلى شواطئ المملكة العربية السعودية، إريتريا، جيبوتي والصومال. كما يمكن أن يتم إغلاق محطات تحلية المياه على ساحل البحر الأحمر، وقطع مصادر المياه العذبة عن ملايين الناس. سيقوم هذا التسريب أيضا بتلويث الهواء على نطاق واسع. من الممكن أيضا أن تتعطل حركة الشحن الحيوية عبر مضيق باب المندب إلى قناة السويس لفترة طويلة، مما سيتسبب بخسارة مليارات الدولارات في اليوم الواحد. كما سوف تتأثر السياحة. الخطة المنسقة أممياً لإنهاء الخطر في سبتمبر 2021 م، قامت الإدارة العليا للأمم المتحدة بإصدار تعليمات للمنسق المقيم ومنسق الشئون الإنسانية للأمم المتحدة في اليمن،ديفيد جريسلي، للقيام بقيادة أممية واسعة النطاق لجهود التصدي لهذا الخطر الذي تفرضه الناقلة (صافر)، تنسيق جميع الجهود للحد من التهديد وكذلك تعزيز خطط الطوارئ في حال حصول تسرب النفط الكارثي. تتبع هذه الجهود جهودا سابقة في بيئة ذات طابع سياسي معقد فرضه النزاع. بعد المناقشات مع الجهات المعنية، قامت الأمم المتحدة بوضع خطة لمنع التسرب عن طريق نقل النفط إلى ناقلة آمنة وتركيب ناقلة طويلة الآجل بديلة للخزان صافر. تم دعم مسودة
الخطة المنسقة من قبل الأمم المتحدة من قبل الإدارة العليا للأمم المتحدة في ديسمبر 2021.
عملت الأمم المتحدة عن كثب مع حكومة اليمن في عدن، والتي لطالما دعمت المبادرة على مدار العام الماضي.
كذلك وقعت السلطات القائمة في صنعاء،التي تسيطر على المنطقة التي تقع فيها السفينة، على مذكرة تفاهم مع الأمم المتحدة في 5 مارس 2022 ، تضع فيها إطارا تعاونيا التزمت فيه السلطات القائمة في صنعاء بتسهيل نجاح المشروع.
يقوم برنامج الأمم المتحدة الإنمائي بتنفيذ هذا المشروع المعقد والشديد الخطورة. تتالف العملية في البحرمن مسارين:
• مرحلة طارئة، تقوم خلالها شركة عالمية رائدة في مجال الإنقاذ بفحص الناقلة صافر وجعلها آمنة لعملية نقل النفط إلى ناقلة بديلة ثم سحبها بعيدا.ً
• تركيب عوامة مرساة (كالم) التي سوف يتم بواسطتها ربط الناقلة البديلة طويلة الآجل وكذلك سحب ناقلة صافر وإعادة تدوريها. سيتم منع الخطر الفوري للتسرب خلال المرحلة الأولى - بمجرد نقل النفط من الخزان صافر. في سبتمبر 2022 ، دعمت الحكومة اليمنية في عدن وسلطات صنعاء رسميًا حل الاستبدال طويل الأجل الذي اقترحته الأمم المتحدة (تركيب عوامة مرساة (كالم) التي سوف يتم بواسطتها ربط الناقلة البديلة
طويلة الآجل). يواصل الطرفان الإعراب عن رغبتهما في بدء العملية في البحر في أسرع وقت ممكن. أصبح العالم الآن أقرب من أي وقت مضى لمنع الكارثة
اعتبارًا من 19 فبراير ، تعهد المانحون بسخاء بتقديم 95 مليون دولار(بما في ذلك أكثر من 12 مليون دولار من القطاع الخاص و 200,000 دولار من خلال حملة التمويل الجماعي في مواقع التواصل الاجتماعي)، تم تلقي 77.5 مليون دولار منها.
بدأت الأعمال التحضيرية للعملية في سبتمبر 2022 بعد التعهد بتقديم 75 مليون دولار. ومنذ ذلك الحين، وضع برنامج الأمم المتحدة الإنمائي الخبرة الفنية ذات الشهرة العالمية للتحضير لتنفيذ المشروع، بما في ذلك شركة استشارية للإدارة البحرية، وشركة قانونية بحرية، ووسطاء
التأمين والسفن البحرية، وخبراء في التسرب النفطي. كما بلغ برنامج الأمم المتحدة الإنمائي مرحلة متقدمة في التعاقد مع شركة الإنقاذ لتنفيذ العملية الطارئة. كما أن الشركة متعاقد معها بالفعل من أجل وضع خطة تشغيلية مفصلة. ومع ذلك، وبينما كانت الأمم المتحدة تستعد للمشروع، ارتفعت تكاليف شراء واستئجار ناقلة نفط عملاقة ويرجع ذلك إلى العوامل المتعلقة بالحرب في أوكرانيا. تكلفة شراء ناقلة نفط عملاقة مناسبة تزيد بما لا يقل عن 20 مليون دولار عن تقديرات الميزانية الأصلية في 9 مارس، وقع برنامج الأمم المتحدة الإنمائي اتفاقية لشراء ناقلة مناسبة لتحمل النفط، مما يمثل خطوة رئيسية نحو بدء العملية في البحر. توجد ناقلة النفط الخام الكبيرة جدًا في حوض جاف لعمل الصيانة والتعديلات. لا يزال المانحون لديهم إهتمام كبير بالعملية.
وفي حالة تم سداد الفجوة المالية الحالية فإن الأمم المتحدة واثقة من أن العمل في البحر يمكن أن يبدأ في النصف الأول من عام 2023 . تعكس الميزانية المعدلة للخطة ظروف السوق الحالية
كما هو موضح في خطة الأمم المتحدة الأولية في أبريل 2022 ، كانت ميزانية العملية ذات المسارين 144 مليون دولار. في حين أن اعتماد حل العوامة (كالم) أدى في البداية إلى خفض الميزانية المقدرة، فإن ارتفاع أسعار ناقالات النفط العمالقة وعوامل أخرى دفعت بميزانية
العمل إلى الزيادة. وتبلغ فجوة الميزانية الحالية للمرحلة الطارئة من العملية 34 مليون دولار (مقابل 95 مليون دولار تم التعهد بها بالفعل). ستواصل الأمم المتحدة جمع الأموال لمواجهة أي فجوة في الميزانية للمرحلة الأولى من العملية وللمرحلة الثانية الحاسمة. كما تأخذ الأمم المتحدة بالإعتبار الوسائل الداخلية لسد الفجوة المالية تشكر الأمم المتحدة المانحين على الدعم السخي .كما تشكر مساهمة القطاع الخاص بما في ذلك الرابطة الدولية لمنتجي النفط والغاز ومجموعة شركات هائل سعيد أنعم وكذلك الدعم السخي من الأفراد الذين يواصلون في المساهمة عبر حملة التمويل الجماعي في مواقع التواصل الاجتماعي لمزيد من المعلومات، يرجى التواصل مع:
راسل جيكي، كبير مستشاري الاتصال للمنسق المقيم ومنسق الشئون الإنسانية للأمم المتحدة في اليمن، +13476540913( geekie@un.org (
أو برنامج الأمم المتحدة الإنمائي ، ديلان لوثيان، +16466736350( dylan.lowthian@undp.o

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
UN global reform has elevated the United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (UNSDCF) to be “the most important instrument for planning and implementing UN development activities” in the country. It outlines the UN development system’s contributions to reach the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in an integrated way, with a commitment to leave no one behind, uphold human rights, Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment (GEWE), and other international standards and obligations. The UNSDCF seeks to address the humanitarian, development and peace challenges in Yemen in an environment where key public institutions are fragmented, no national strategy exists, and where there has been no national budget since 2014. The Yemen UNSDCF outlines the UN’s collective priorities and development objectives to be reached jointly in the next three years 2022-2024 as part of an ongoing and longer- term vision for resilience building and forging of a pathway to peace.
Yemen is a country in conflict. The priorities of this UNSDCF are derived from the analysis of the impacts of this ongoing crisis on the people of Yemen, and the needs and opportunities as outlined in the UN’s Common Country Analysis (CCA) conducted in 2021.
The UN has prioritized four pillars that resonate with the SDG priorities of people, peace, planet and prosperity that aim, as a matter of urgency, to improve people’s lives in Yemen and build resilience that is equitable, inclusive, people-centred, gender responsive and human rights based, through outcomes that: 1. Increase food security, improving livelihood options, and job creation 2. Preserve inclusive, effective and efficient national and local development systems strengthening 3. Drive inclusive economic structural transformation 4. Build social services, social protection, and inclusion for all
The theory of change is driven by an expectation that by 2024 the impact for all people of all ages in Yemen affected by conflict, forced displacement and living in poverty in all its dimensions will experience change in the quality of their lives. This will be possible through increased food security and nutrition, livelihood options and job creation; preserved national and local development and systems strengthening; inclusive economic structural transformation and the building of social services, social protection and inclusion for all. Food security and nutrition, and sustainable and resilient livelihoods and environmental stability will be realized through effective food production and diversified food and nutrition security; and through sustainable climate sensitive environmental management. Rights-based good governance and inclusive gender sensitive improved public services and rule of law will be possible as a result of accountable, inclusive and transparent institutions and systems, as well as the building of trusted justice systems. Increased income security and decent work for women, youth and vulnerable populations will be realised through micro and macro-economic development and job creation. Strengthened social protection and basic social support service delivery focused on support to marginalized groups, and strengthening women and youth leadership in decision making processes will be supported through the preservation of social protection and expanded and effective social assistance and basic services.
The UNSDCF prioritises the population groups in Yemen that have the highest risk of being left behind due to the impact of conflict; economic, social, geographic or political exclusion; and marginalisation. Enacting the central transformative principle of the 2030 Agenda and the SDGs, whilst challenging in the Yemen context, does provide the lens through which the UNSDCF targets the most vulnerable and prioritise Leaving No One Behind.
On the basis that some groups in Yemen bear the brunt of the conflict due to forced displacement, livelihood disruption, food insecurity, limited social safety nets, increased levels of poverty and poor-
quality housing, the CCA 2021 identifies the following population groups at the greatest risk of being left behind:
- Women and girls - 73 percent of those displaced in Yemen are women and girls, especially women of reproductive age and adolescent girls
- Children – 60 percent of those killed directly by conflict are children under five
- Youth and adolescents – an estimated 2 million school-age girls and boys are out of school as poverty, conflict, and lack of opportunities disrupt their education
- Internally displaced persons – more than 4 million IDPs with 172,000 newly displaced in 2020 and almost 160,000 in 2021
- Refugees, asylum seekers and migrants – Yemen hosts approximately 138,000 migrants and 140,000 refugees and asylum seekers
- Persons with disabilities – 4.5 million Yemenis have at least one disability
- Ethnic and religious minorities – It is estimated that Muhamasheen represent 10 percent of the population living in marginalised conditions
The UNSDCF is comprised of four chapters. Chapter One: explores Yemen’s progress towards the 2030 Agenda through a detailed analysis of the country context drawing on the 2021 CCA. Chapter Two: presents the theory of change generally and per outcome area. Chapter Three: outlines the UNSDCF’s implementation plan focused on the management structure, resources, links to country programming instruments and Yemen’s Business Operations Strategy. Chapter Four: highlights the process for CCA updates, Monitoring and Evaluation and Learning. The Results Framework presents the outcomes and key performance indicators for monitoring agreed targets utilizing verifiable data sets. Two annexes capture the legal basis for all UN entities engaged in the UNSDCF and the mandatory commitments to Harmonised Approaches to Cash Transfers (HACT)1.
The UNSDCF represents the UN’s understanding that continued engagement in Yemen requires an operational architecture under-pinned by the Business Operations Strategy (BOS) and an integrated set of achievable programming priorities. These two strategic approaches of the UN system strengthen and make more inclusive the country’s national and local governance structures, and mainstream the required responses to the economic and health consequences of COVID-19. They tackle food insecurity and nutrition as a matter of priority and integrate the promotion and advancement of gender equality and women’s and girl’s empowerment.    

The Division for Ocean Affairs and the Law of the Sea of the Office of Legal Affairs of the United Nations (“OLA/DOALOS”), is now accepting applications for the 2023 session of the United Nations - The Nippon Foundation Strategic Needs Fellowship Programme.
The objective of the United Nations – The Nippon Foundation Strategic Needs Fellowship is to assist developing States, particularly least developed countries, small island developing States and landlocked developing countries to address identified critical needs in the implementation of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and related instruments, as well as Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 14 and other related SDGs. The Fellowship is targeted at Government officials with limited background in ocean affairs and the law of the sea who are filling key positions in their Administration and who are tasked to address the needs referred to above.
Selected Fellows participate in a four-month training programme based on a foundation curriculum, integrated by a highly customized individual curriculum developed in consultation with the nominating State, at OLA/DOALOS at United Nations Headquarters in New York.
To qualify, candidates must:
• Be between the ages of 25 and 40
• Possess at least a first-level university degree or equivalent
• Demonstrate an ability to undertake advanced academic research and studies
• Be from a developing State
• Be Government officials dealing directly with critical issues related to sustainable development of oceans and seas (e.g. the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development; national and/or regional ocean policy; the establishment of maritime zones and/or the delimitation of maritime boundaries; coastal zone management; conservation and management of marine living resources; maritime transport and shipping; maritime security; the protection and preservation of the marine environment; and/or marine science).
It is intended that 11 Fellowships will be offered in 2023.
Additional information on the United Nations – The Nippon Foundation Strategic Needs Fellowship is available on the Fellowship website https://www.un.org/oceancapacity/content/unnf-strategic-fellowship.
The Fellowship website includes a detailed outline of the required qualifications, the application package, and further details on the Fellowship Programme. Candidates must complete the application package available by using the “APPLY NOW” button (https://www.un.org/oceancapacity/content/apply-now), including by transmitting the required documents to the following email address: doalos@un.org.
The deadline for submitting the complete application package is 24 March 2023. Applicants should familiarize themselves with the eligibility requirements and use only the application forms made available on the website to apply to the Programme. Late or incomplete applications will not be considered.
Awards will be communicated individually to the successful candidates and then posted on the Fellowship website in the second half of May 2023. The Fellowship will take place between mid-August and mid-December 2023.
OLA/DOALOS would appreciate it if this notification could be widely disseminated through relevant networks to ensure a large and diverse pool of candidates. Nominating authorities are strongly encouraged to consider putting forward female candidates.

In Yemen, every drop of water counts. This is so because Yemen is one of the world’s most water-scarce countries and current groundwater withdrawals exceed annual recharge. Dwindling groundwater resources directly threaten agricultural production because the sector accounts for 90 percent of water withdrawal, leaving municipal and industrial usage at 8 percent and 2 percent respectively. The country lacks effective infrastructure to harvest rainwater for water supply and groundwater recharge. Water, which could have been used to recharge groundwater or agriculture production, goes to waste as it flows to the sea, untapped. Climate change and rapid population growth have put massive pressure on the limited water resources in Yemen. Water scarcity in Yemen means less water for agriculture production which in turn means less food available, threatening food security and nutrition. This comes at a time when the country has been battered by the ongoing conflict which has disrupted agrifood systems. About 14.5 million people in Yemen are without access to safe drinking water and reliable sanitation facilities. This presents the right conditions for bacterial diseases, such as cholera, to spread fast, putting large populations at high risk. This is pertinent in peri-urban slums and areas populated by internally displaced people (IDPs). This was the case when there was a cholera outbreak, in 2016, which spread to 19 governorates, affecting 53 000 people. Not a day passes without stakeholders discussing or thinking of ways to address the water situation in Yemen. As such, talking about this issue during the World Water Day heightens attention on this perennial problem which threatens to spill into a catastrophe. Yemen’s case is dire and we need to act now as we may be running out of time. This year’s World Water Day theme: “Accelerating change” with the slogan “Be the change you want to see in the world”, calls us to act at a quickened pace. We are encouraged to change the way we use, consume and manage water. More so, this is even more appropriate for Yemen where there is urgent need to address water scarcity and ensure that the limited resources are managed sustainably. Depleting water resources, a threat to livelihoods The depletion rate of groundwater is very high in zones across Yemen, with the hardest hit being the highlands where annual water table declines of between 2 and 6 metres have been observed. Such sharp declines, recorded in Sa’dah, Rada’a, Taiz, Amram and Sana’a basins significantly reduce spring-fed irrigation and increase the cost of drawing water for agricultural purposes.  In coastal zones overexploitation of groundwater leads to salt water intrusion, which affects human consumption. Rainwater harvesting systems are used as an alternative to groundwater and these include terraces, check dams, ponds, and spate irrigation. Spate irrigation[1] is practiced in Yemen along wadi courses and in the plains. It has been practised for thousands of years. Besides providing irrigation, spates recharge shallow aquifers and filling cattle ponds. Rainwater amount and frequency has recently become erratic in Yemen because of climate change. Last year Yemen experienced a severe drought and flooding within the same season, which goes to illustrate the severity of climate change.   Current annual renewable freshwater resources[2] in Yemen are estimated at 86 cubic metres per person and this falls far below the absolute threshold of 500 cubic metres per capita. Across Yemen, groundwater is being depleted at twice the rate its being replenished. This means that, for example, all the 13 000 wells used as sources of water in the Sana’a basin, will dry up, spelling doom for communities who use the water for domestic, crops and livestock use. Farmers go to great depths to tap groundwater including fossil water, in the Sanaa Basin. The average depth of wells in the basin reached 400 metres, depending on the location and type of aquifer being used. However, it is reported that, due to Qat[3] irrigation, some wells in the Sanaa Basin reached depths of up to 700 metres or more to access groundwater resources. Drawing water from such depths comes at a cost to farmers who use diesel pumps to draw the resource. Water supply in Sana’a City also suffers as drawing water from such deep levels affect the aquifer. Following the flow to ascertain how the precious liquid is utilised shows that Qat production accounts for 30 percent of the water drawn from the Sana'a Basin. This leaves humans, food production and livestock scrambling for the remainder. Qat requires intensive irrigation before harvesting and water is used to grow Qat over domestic and urban uses, decreasing the access and availability to Yemeni citizens. According to an FAO report, the high water consumption of Qat increases physical water scarcity by reducing the available surface and groundwater sources. This paints a gloomy picture about the water situation in Yemen. Water scarcity has ripple socio-economic effects on Yemenis. The lack of the precious liquid has seen localized conflicts as communities fight over the few and sparse sources of water. Research by Sana’a University found that about 70 – 80 percent of conflicts in Yemen are over water. The poor and vulnerable, are usually trampled in these conflicts leaving them even more food and nutrition insecure. Women are not spared either as they bear the brunt of the food and nutrition insecurity resulting from water scarcity. Women and children walk long distances, foraging for water. They are also at the receiving end whenever a conflict over water breaks out. FAO’s interventions in the water sector in Yemen Given the foregoing, it is clear that FAO has its work cut out in its endeavour to ensure food and nutrition security in Yemen. As such, FAO is helping farmers in Yemen to make better use of available water resources to improve sustainability and reduce conflicts. In the Sana’a basin, for example, FAO piloted an integrated water resources management (IWRM[4]) approach to managing water resources in the basin to combat depletion of underground aquifers. The project, funded by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, successfully reduced the water use on irrigated land by 19 percent; from 72.6 cubic metres per hectare a year to 58.56 cubic metres a hectare per year.  This was achieved through adoption of modern irrigation equipment, piped conveyance systems, protected agriculture (greenhouses), recharge of underground aquifers, planting perennial tree crops (almonds and peaches), and use of rehabilitated water harvesting infrastructure.  A follow up project, funded by the same financing partner, is currently underway and it builds on the success of the initial project and seeks to strengthen water use efficiency. Through this project, FAO is helping national authorities, farmers and local communities to make better use of available water resources within the Sana’a basin. An additional vital component of the current project is to build the capacities of the Water User Associations (WUAs) in water resource investments to ensure sustainable water availability and use. This promotes more gender-sensitive governance of WUAs and enhance agricultural productivity through the introduction of climate-smart agricultural practices while promoting community cohesion and strengthening the capacity of local communities to resolve water-based conflicts. FAO with support from Japan has installed small-scale wastewater treatment facilities that can produce safe water for irrigation in the Sana’a basin. This  The treatment plants use the power of gravity to cycle the water through the various stages of cleaning ensuring that treated water meets the standards required for use in agriculture. This goes a long in combating outbreaks of diseases such as cholera as farmers use treated wastewater. Apart from the works in the Sana’a basin, FAO is implementing other interventions such as the  four-year water management and food security programme in Wadi Hajr, which is also funded by the Netherlands. The programme will rehabilitate irrigation infrastructure damaged by recent flooding. It provides more food security and income for the farming communities in the Wadi, including women and youth in the area. Furthermore, this programme strengthens community watershed governance and promoting ecological and restorative agriculture, for example growing wheat, throughout the watershed. Additional interventions are carried out through the “Resilience Programme in the Irrigation and Agricultural Sector in Yemen” which is funded by the Federal Republic of Germany, through the German Development Bank (Kreditanstalt für Wiederaufbau - KfW). FAO is rehabilitating farm level irrigation infrastructure. This is done through cash-for-work, which creates employment and income opportunities. Additionally, FAO is engaging communities to increase their climate resilience, reduce conflict over water and disaster risk reduction. Other interventions help farmers improve irrigation systems and rehabilitate or construct water and land infrastructure. Crops grown under irrigation include cereals, fruits, vegetables, cash crops, pulses and fodder. Through improved rainwater harvesting techniques, FAO has improved access to water and easing the load on women and children who traditionally collect water. Under the Hand in Hand Initiative, FAO is working with the authorities in Yemen to develop the National Agriculture and Fisheries Strategy and Investment Plan 2030. This strategic document addresses challenges in the water sector as well as looking at natural resources management, disaster risk response and climate change adaptation needs or options in Yemen.   Conclusion In Yemen, marking World Water Day entails taking stock of what has been done and what is still to be done. It is a time to acknowledge the generous funding from partners and the collaboration with various stakeholders within the country. It is also a time to call for more action to spur further investment into water resources management as the current situation is untenable It is clear from the above that the water situation in Yemen is precarious. Current efforts have only address part of a very complex and huge water problem that is developing in Yemen. A lot more is still to be done. More collaborative efforts are needed as the situation may soon spiral out of control. One major intervention should be the strategic investment in enhancing IWRM across the country. It is also vital to undertake deep groundwater mapping across the country to ascertain where groundwater is available. This will inform future policies and interventions.   Furthermore, it is critical to continue exploring ways of increasing water efficiency and water productivity through advanced irrigation technologies and other climate smart agriculture approaches. Addressing climate change entails implementing innovative approaches to shield farmers, for example drought tolerant crops. FAO is willing to play a critical role in coordinating these efforts, as it would tap into its expertise in terms of IWRM. With the rapid depletion of groundwater resources and rapid population growth, Yemen is on the verge of an untenable situation where only the renewable water resources will be accessible. As such, more investment should be made towards rainwater harvesting. Additionally, it is vital to craft sectoral policies with clear regulatory frameworks and legislations that will be rigorously enforced. Finally, future programming encourage conversion from water intensive Qat growing to food production including cash crops like coffee. Dr Hussein Gadain is the FAO Representative in Yemen   [1] Spate irrigation is a type of water management, unique to arid regions bordering highlands. The spate irrigation systems support low value farming systems. [2] Renewable water resources include average annual flow of rivers and recharge of aquifers generated from rainfall from within the country and those water resources that are not generated in the country, such as inflows from upstream countries. [3] A mild stimulant regularly chewed by about 70 percent of Yemeni men. [4] IWRM is a holistic approach to water management that links land and water development within a catchment and links social and economic development with protection of natural ecosystems. It is a concept that attempts to coordinate and balance competing demands for water (i.e., domestic, municipal, agricultural, industrial and environmental) in a way that optimizes benefits and enhances equity.