Climate change is a global threat and a vicious cycle. It contributes to food insecurity, hunger, and poverty – especially where people are already vulnerable. And vulnerabilities and risks are increased by climate-related disasters as they disrupt livelihoods, severely impact human rights, and endanger lives the world over. Yemen’s already challenging humanitarian and development situation, characterized by socioeconomic deterioration, is even further threatened by climate change. The country’s recurrent natural disasters and torrential rains brought on by climate change and high temperatures has caused significant drought and severe floods across the country. Recent years have seen increased levels of fatalities and destruction, and the spread of communicable diseases has been unprecedented. Coupled with severe damage to agricultural lands, this has adversely affected the economy and livelihoods – particularly in rural areas. With Yemen’s protracted conflict, Yemenis’– especially women – have little means to adapt to climate change and respond to these recurring and new shocks. Women are often the most vulnerable to climate change with little to no access to resources such as water, energy, or capital. But Iman Hadi and her micro-grid team of nine other women are quickly changing this reality in rural Yemen.    RURAL WOMEN CONTRIBUTE TO CLIMATE-RESILIENT COMMUNITIES Little did Iman Hadi know how much her world would change when she and nine other women presented a project plan to the United Nations Development Programme’s (UNDP) component of the Supporting Resilient Livelihoods and Food Security (ERRY) Joint Programme. They proposed operating and managing a solar micro-grid plant in Abs district, one of the most vulnerable areas located on front lines of the conflict in northern Yemen. Over the past four years, they have successfully built up the first-ever private solar micro-grid station to provide radically cheaper and clean electricity for 53 low-income households in their community. This decentralized solar solution improved access to energy and reduced the impact of energy production on the already fragile natural environment. Since the beginning of the project, it has reduced 34,560 kilograms of emissions of greenhouse gases (GHGs). This is equivalent to 85,785 miles driven by an average gasoline-powered passenger vehicle or 38,238 pounds of coal burned. It has also contributed to improving livelihoods throughout the community as the grid both allows for the creation of jobs. UNDP’s gender-sensitive business model allowed for removing the social, economic, and cultural obstacles that prevent women from participating in climate change adaptation measures.     COP27: INSPIRING OTHERS IN THE FACE OF ADVERSITY After a tiresome four-day journey from her village, Iman finally reached Sharm El Sheikh to participate as a panelist in the United Nations Conference of the Parties on Climate Change (COP27). A dream she would have never imagined four short years ago. Over three sessions in three different pavilions, Iman inspired hundreds with her story. Through it all, she remained humble, thinking of her fellow Yemeni women and specifically about how her team challenge the deep-rooted conservative traditions and stereotypes about women around establishing and managing their own businesses She spoke about the pioneering role of women in confronting climate change and inspired other young leaders working on climate resilience and environmental protection. Seeing the bigger picture for a brighter future in Yemen, she noted that "Solar solutions could promote long-term adaptation in Yemen, generate sustainable energy, create livelihoods opportunities, and solve the climate risk issue.” Iman also participated in a session in UNDP's pavilion discussing how gender, innovation, and technology can address the risks of climate change. “I sincerely hope that I conveyed the voice of all Yemeni women, not only mine.” Despite economic, social, and environmental differences, Iman noted that one thing COP27 proved is that “we are all suffering from the same issues, especially the imminent risk of climate change. We must all take immediate action!”      FROM HUMBLE BEGINNINGS TO ENTREPRENEUR In 2019, the forty-year-old Iman started her career as a manager of a limited-capacity solar micro-grid plant, hoping to help the many community members without electricity because of the lack of a national grid or the skyrocketing fuel prices. UNDP provided the team with the solar grids and training in business management and operations as well as the necessary specialty care such as battery maintenance. The beginning was difficult, and Iman had to overcome numerous challenges – both financial and social. “The project was not easy to get off the ground,” explains Iman. “We went through a lot to establish this project because of the perspective Yemenis have on working women,” she indicated. But she was no stranger to difficult situations – like the other six million displaced Yemenis, Iman had to flee her home to avoid armed conflict. But, like many, she knew she wanted to re-establish a life for herself and her family. Iman had big dreams.    These dreams grew over time, as did Iman’s sense of obligation to her community. She continued to work harder and more diligently, and she very wisely invested her portion of the solar micro-grid’s earnings to expand her business. Iman’s dreams did not stop, and her resolve did not weaken as she continued to work on her project. She was confident that one day she would see her dreams translated into reality. Today, Iman has expanded her business to include microloans to members of the community to start-up businesses, hire employees, and get back on track if needed. She has been able to change the landscape of her community one loan at a time – strengthening the economic situation in the community and bringing hope and dignity back to many in this frontline community. What Iman did not expect was that she would also succeed in changing the traditional role and way the community views women. Before the solar micro-grid, the community and others were skeptical of the business, particularly that it was owned and operated by women. But through hard work, patience, perseverance and good business sense, Iman has become a well-respected and beloved pillar of the community. She has single handedly changed the image of women in rural Yemen.  So it stands to reason that, in 2020, Iman and the solar micro-grid business would be selected for the prestigious Ashden Award for Humanitarian Energy. Instead of diesel costing 42 cents an hour, solar energy costs only 2 cents, enabling the average person access. Cutting the cost of energy by 65 per cent, the solar microgrids offer an alternative, clean and renewable energy source that allows rural homes and businesses the ability to afford undisrupted electricity for hours. Iman’s success did not stop there! Also in 2020, she was selected as one of the BBC’s 100 Most Influential Women in the world for promoting positive change, making a difference amid Yemen's volatile times, and delivering clean, low-impact electricity.   ERRY’S JOINT PROGRAMME ROLE TO CLIMATE ADAPTATION IN YEMEN Before the conflict started in 2015, only 23 per cent of Yemenis had access to energy. The crisis has led to a deeper energy-related problem as fossil fuels continue to surge and embargos make it more difficult to obtain. Non-grid electrified rural households- accounting for 75 per cent of the total population - were using alternative lighting devices such as kerosene lamps (about 67 per cent) and liquefied petroleum gas (about 5 per cent) which have severe impacts on the environment. Before the crisis, the cost of 20 litres of diesel was US$ 7; today it costs up to US$ 40, and is often hard to come by, even in stations. The UNDP programme has enabled communities’ access to affordable energy when there are no other viable solutions, by applying unique, low-cost, and sustainable solar microgrid solutions. Under the European Union (EU) and Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida) funded project, ERRY JP, UNDP has supported a range of decentralized off-grid initiatives. This includes, for example, the installation of solar power systems for a range of public services like schools, healthcare centres, and public offices while also working to help develop business models that enable income generation for rural Yemenis. To date, more than 196 public services have been solarized since 2019, benefitting tens of thousands and allowing public services to resume critical functions and duties like during the cholera outbreak and the COVID-19 pandemic. Under the project, UNDP has created the market and demand for access to cheaper and cleaner energy amongst rural and poor, conflict-effected communities. The ERRY JP is implementing the third phase of the project, aiming to strengthen resilience of the population in the most vulnerable governorates in Yemen. The US$ 49 million joint programme supports the creation of sustainable livelihoods opportunities through enhancing food security, employment, community assets restoration, social basic services, agricultural value chains, gender equality and women’s economic empowerment as well as access to renewable energy. The three-year programme (March 2022 - Feb 2025) is funded by European Union (EU) and Sweden and is jointly implemented by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), International Labour Organization (ILO) and the World Food Programme (WFP).  

Vehicles and trucks loaded with food and water move carefully and slowly along the steep, unpaved mountain road that connects the Ahem Market to all the Al-Sudha villages in Kushar district, Hajjah governorate. The plight of people living in Bani-Shahr has been exacerbated year after year, especially during rainy seasons when this road becomes impassable. The road is the sole lifeline of the surrounding citizens, but transporting food, water, and other essential items has become extremely complicated. This time-consuming and costly path forced people to resort to using donkeys to traverse the difficult terrains. People in Al-Sirat called this road the ‘Death Road’. Its ruggedness and the absence of gabions has put people’s lives in danger and caused many tragic accidents that have claimed numerous lives. “The road in the Al-Sirat area connects more than five villages; however, the rugged route has had a serious impact on residents, resulting in tremendous problems. People struggle to transport food, obtain water, and access medical services, and they incur enormous costs for transportation like sending patients to hospitals. Because of this, people in the area lead a miserable life,” says Ahmed Al-Shehri, 43, a resident of the area. TRAGIC ACCIDENTS Many lives have been lost because of having to drive a very dangerous slope called ‘Al-Sirat’. All those who managed to traverse the road are said to have escaped the grip of death. Al-Shehri recalls three tragic traffic accidents that resulted in many causalities – one of which killed four people from the same family while transferring a patient to a hospital. The danger and suffering intensify during the rainy season as the road becomes impassable, leaving these villages completely isolated. “The road gets blocked when it rains, so people resort to using donkeys to transport food and other necessities,” says Al-Shehri. “Some have left their villages because they cannot obtain necessities. For example, the price of one water tanker has reached YER 60,000 (USD 100),” he indicates.   POSITIVE IMPACT After residents’ pleas for a solution, the Public Works Project (PWP) performed a project study and meet with residents to determine their priority needs. “The two parties agreed to pave the rocky parts of the road, estimated at 11 kilometres long,” says Hamdi Sallam, PWP’s Assistant Director of the Sub-District in Hajjah.  “This project not only helped citizens overcome difficulties, but it also created local job opportunities. They gained skills and expertise from participating in the road construction, paving, etc.,” he explains. “People’s persistence and cooperation to overcome difficulties have contributed to completing the first phase of the project within four months.”   “The road paving project reduced transportation costs, facilitated goods transport, and contributed to absorbing manpower,” said Ahmed.   Al-Sirat Road was a nightmare for people, especially car and truck drivers. "Before PWP intervened and paved the roads and built gabions, people really suffered. The situation has now improved, and the road has become safer," he adds, hoping this project puts an end to the long-standing suffering experienced by people in this area.   NAVIGATING RISKS Highlighting the impact of paving the road, Ahmed Qarou, a 39-year-old resident of Bani-Shahr area indicates that "The project has changed the situation for the better and helped improve transportation, particularly transporting patients who require urgent medical care.” He notes that "people worry less after the implementation of the project and that the costs of transporting basic materials and water were reduced”. He explains that community members can now also save money to buy other necessities. Beneficiaries felt very happy after repairing the road; the project has improved infrastructure and created job opportunities for several citizens. According to the Assistant Director of PWP Sub-District, the community still faces additional challenges as not all the roadwork has been completed. "The 11-kilometre-long project requires a second phase that must eventually be completed," he explains. "The first phase of the project has had a positive and multifaceted impact on people, reducing the cost of transporting food, water and other essentials.” He indicates that “after paving this road, passengers’ transportation fees went down from YER 5,000 (US$ 8) to YER 2,000 (US$ 3.5).”  The Al-Sirat Road paving project – funded and supported by the World Bank’s IDA in partnership with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and implemented by PWP – has alleviated community suffering in Bani-Shahr Sub-District, Koshar. The success of this project comprises several aspects, improving the living standards of many families. It is a key factor in absorbing manpower as well as reducing personal and commercial transportation costs.    

Ahlam, 37, was pregnant with her ninth child when her family was displaced from Rawan District to Al Jufinah Camp in Marib Governorate in Yemen. Her body was exhausted from childbirth, displacement and lack of food during her ninth pregnancy. “Most nights, I was in great pain, I could barely move or speak to my husband,” tells Ahlam.
A horrifying experience Ahlam’s complications worsened closer to the delivery, threatening her life and that of her unborn child. “I knew something did not feel right, but I had very few options. I had no savings after I lost my job from displacement” stated Ahlam’s husband. With no money to take Ahlam to a hospital, her husband resorted to an unskilled midwife to deliver at home. Ahlam managed to deliver safely, but she began to bleed profusely. The midwife could not control the bleeding and rushed her to the nearest health clinic. At the clinic, she was provided with first aid, but the clinic was not equipped to provide the urgent treatment Ahlam required. “I felt the clock stopped ticking when the clinic nurse told me they could not do anything to help my wife. It was horrifying to imagine my wife was going to die,” tells the husband. Ahlam’s body was turning blue, but the husband had no money left to afford the transportation to the nearest hospital. With a stroke of luck, a visitor at the clinic offered to take Ahlam to Al Shaheed Mohammaed Ha’il Health Centre – a health facility supported by KSrelief to provide emergency obstetric care services.   A window of hope Ahlam arrived at Al Shaheed Mohammed Hai’l Health Centre unconscious, in a terrible state of shock.   The medical team rushed Ahlam to the operating theatre in the hope of saving her life. “I thought she was gone once I saw her. I put my finger to check her heartbeat, it was fading away,” told a nurse. Ahlam had suffered a uterine rupture following the home delivery. The doctors could not stop the bleeding. Her blood levels had dropped drastically. A decision was taken to remove her womb in the hope of stabilizing the bleeding.  “After six hours of surgery, when I saw her condition stabilize, I was overjoyed. The sound of the heartbeat monitor sounded like victory music,” said the gynecologist.   A Life Won Ahlam was later admitted to the intensive care unit for five days, where her health gradually began to improve. “I felt like I died the moment I fainted,” tells Ahlam after recovering. When I slowly opened my eyes, I thought I was opening them in my heaven, but I could hear the heartbeat monitor, then I knew I had made it out alive.” Yemen has one of the highest maternal mortality rates in the Arab region with one women dying every two hours during childbirth, another 20 suffer injuries, infections or disabilities that are preventable; while six out of 10 births take place without a skilled birth attendant. Support from KSrelief is helping to increase access to reproductive health services for women and girls, with support to 15 health facilities and 50 community midwives in southern parts of the country. This is enabling pregnant women to deliver safely, while equipping health facilities to tackle other reproductive health complications such as that faced by Ahlam.

When she heard from her neighbours that other people from her community were making higher incomes in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), she decided to depart from home with dreams of earning enough to buy a house for her family.   Tens of thousands of migrants travel from the Horn of Africa, mainly Ethiopia and Somalia, to Yemen each year. Most migrants take this journey to escape destitution and hope to find better economic opportunities in Gulf countries, mainly KSA.  Their journeys are facilitated by smuggling networks who convince migrants they are just a few steps away from a better life. Instead, they are met with extreme hardship and violence on their journeys.  “At the beach in Somalia, smugglers crammed us into unseaworthy boats that took us across the Gulf of Aden to conflict-affected Yemen. There were nearly a hundred people on the boat. In the middle of the sea, we had to take the water out with our hands to avoid drowning,” recalled Abeba.   Abeba was one of the few who made it to shore alive. She managed to come up with the additional money smugglers asked her for to make her way to Sa’dah, a city on the border of Yemen and KSA.  There, she stayed with her sister who was living there while she waited to travel onward. One day, a missile hit their house and her life was changed forever.  Abeba lost her sister in the attack. Her own injuries put her in a coma in the hospital for many months. A relative brought her from Sa’dah to Sana’a and did his best to take care of her needs.  He quickly realized he could not care for her alone and came to the International Organization for Migration (IOM) for help. IOM’s health team received her at a hospital in Sana’a and covered the cost of her treatment in the hospital.   The Organization later secured a safe place for Abeba to stay in a home in Sana’a where she received additional medical treatment and psychological support.  “I lost my sister on this journey, and I was burned and wounded in this attack. My journey has been terrible, and I want to go home,” said Abeba.   From the onset of this journey, migrants are prone to risks such as starvation, drowning, violence and exploitation at the hands of smugglers and traffickers.    Like Abeba, Etenesh left Ethiopia in pursuit of a better life, but was abused and exploited on her journey.  “I was beaten by smugglers in Djibouti when I could not pay them. Another smuggler then offered to pay for my trip if I married him,” explained Etenesh, an 18-year-old Ethiopian woman.  “Once we reached Yemeni shores, I was already pregnant. My husband left me without food or money. I walked for weeks to reach northern Yemen.”  In her third month of pregnancy, Etenesh changed her mind and decided to turn around and head back south to Sana’a.  "In Sana’a, I lived with people in the Oromo community. I couldn't work because of my pregnancy and no one accepted me. The last woman I stayed with helped me give birth, but she did not have enough money to care for me after, so she took me to IOM,” continued Etenesh.  “I couldn’t tell my family that I got married. I just sent them my daughter's photo. My father called me and cried. He blamed himself that he couldn’t provide me with the money I needed when I needed it.”  Abeba and Etenesh both decided they wanted to go home and were able to return to Ethiopia on an IOM Voluntary Humanitarian Return (VHR) flight from Sana’a in October.   Thousands of other migrants in Yemen remain stranded in major hubs of Aden, Ma’rib, Sana’a and Sa’dah. Many of them sleep on the streets and struggle to secure the food and water necessary for their survival.  IOM-supported facilities in Aden and Sana’a help stranded migrants with nowhere to go – giving them a safe roof over their heads, daily meals, medical care, psychosocial support and information on safe migration.   The centers that hosted Abeba and Etenesh are funded by the European Union, US State Department’s Bureau of Population, Refugees and Migration (PRM) and the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Centre (KSrelief) while IOM’s health response to migrants is supported by the Governments of Germany and Finland.  IOM’s VHR assistance to migrants who wish to go home is supported with funding from PRM and KSR.  “I am very happy to return to my country. My life will improve now. I will warn all those who plan to come here because I do not want anyone to experience the harsh reality that I have been through.” Abeba added. IOM's support will continue after migrants arrive back home in Ethiopia. All returnees will be accommodated at the IOM Transit Centre in Addis Ababa, where further medical, psychiatric and psychosocial support will be given to those in need.  Since the beginning of 2022, IOM has recorded more than 67,500 migrant arrivals in Yemen.  * Names were changed.