FAO Yemen: Enhancing Livestock Resilience in Yemen: A Comprehensive Approach to Climate and Conflict Challenges

Yemen's Rural Communities Face Unprecedented Challenges

Between 2020 and 2024, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) implemented a multi-year initiative to strengthen the resilience of livestock-dependent communities across seven governorates in Yemen: Hajjah, Al-Hudaydah, Al-Mahwit, Saada, Lahj, Taiz, and Abyan.

In a country where conflict, economic collapse, and climate shocks have combined to create one of the world's worst humanitarian crises, this intervention focused on protecting livestock, which serve as the cornerstone of rural livelihoods and food security for millions of Yemenis.

Livestock Under Threat

Extreme heat, recurrent droughts, and flash floods have devastated grazing lands, depleted water sources, and reduced feed availability. Outbreaks of significant animal diseases, such as Peste des Petits Ruminants (PPR) and Sheep and Goat Pox (SGP), have further threatened livestock productivity and household incomes. Additionally, ongoing conflict has disrupted markets and veterinary services, leaving smallholder farmers without crucial support.

In this context, FAO's intervention provided both immediate relief and long-term solutions to protect livestock health, enhance productivity, and build community resilience.

A Comprehensive Approach to Climate-Resilient Livestock Management

The initiative followed a multi-phase, evidence-based methodology that combined humanitarian assistance with long-term climate adaptation strategies. The stages included:

1. Assessment and Planning: FAO conducted in-depth needs assessments in collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation and Fish Wealth (MAIF), the Agriculture Research and Extension Authority (AREA), local NGOs, and communities. The assessments identified climate risks, mapped vulnerabilities, and recommended adaptation measures in areas dependent on livestock.

2. Capacity Building:

Community Animal Health Workers (CAHWs) were trained to diagnose, prevent, and report animal diseases. Farmers and pastoralists received training on climate-smart agriculture (CSA) and sustainable rangeland management.

3. Livestock Health and Nutrition:

FAO led mass vaccination campaigns against PPR and SGP, and treatment against internal and external worms, distributed emergency feed, and promoted the cultivation of climate-resilient fodder crops.

4. Water Management:

Water harvesting structures were constructed to mitigate the impacts of drought and improve access to water for livestock.

5. Women and Youth Empowerment:

Training programs supported women and youth in dairy processing, cheese making, poultry production, and cooperative formation, creating new sources of income and enhancing gender inclusion.

6. Monitoring and Accountability:

Through third-party monitoring, FAO tracked progress on livestock health, productivity, and household resilience. A Grievance Redress Mechanism (GRM) ensures that community feedback informs project adaptations. From Anticipation to Transformation

The project integrated climate action across all stages of resilience building:

• Anticipation and Prevention: Climate risk mapping and early warning systems informed vaccination and feed distribution schedules.

• Shock Absorption: Vaccination, deworming, water harvesting, and fodder distribution helped households withstand climate shocks.

• Adaptation: Sustainable rangeland management, drought-tolerant breeds, and income diversification reduced vulnerability.

• Recovery: Emergency feed, veterinary kits, and mobile clinics supported recovery in crisis-affected areas.

• Transformation: FAO collaborated with national institutions to integrate livestock resilience into Yemen's Animal Health and Development Strategy, thus promoting long-term adaptation to climate change and conflict.

Key Results and Impact

FAO's work yielded measurable improvements in food security, livelihoods, and environmental sustainability:

• Over 5 million livestock were vaccinated and treated, reducing disease outbreaks at a cost of about USD 0.50 per animal, saving the live of a goat or sheep worth USD 100. 

• Household milk production increased by 25%, while income from livestock sales rose by 15%.

• Rangeland rehabilitation improved vegetative cover by up to 15% in targeted areas.

• Over 6,000 women were trained in livestock management and small-scale agribusiness, gaining both income and decision-making power.

• Strengthened social cohesion between internally displaced persons (IDPs) and host communities, reduced tensions linked to resource competition.

Scaling Up Success

FAO's climate-resilient livestock model is now being scaled across other regions in Yemen. This approach combines low-cost, locally adapted technologies with community-based service delivery, making it especially effective in fragile contexts with limited formal veterinary systems.

Sustainability depends on continued collaboration with local authorities, inclusive participation, especially that of women, and flexible funding that bridges humanitarian responses and long-term development. By integrating climate risk management, gender inclusion, and community engagement, the initiative aims to secure a resilient future for Yemen's livestock-dependent communities.