Ibb, Yemen In the highlands of Yemen’s Ibb governorate, a stubborn breeze sweeps across a valley once forgotten. The earth, cracked and faded from years of drought, now shimmers with hues of green and gold. Barley sways gently under the morning sun, while bees buzz lazily over wildflowers. This isn’t a postcard from a faraway paradise – it’s a story of revival from a land once silenced by war, water scarcity, and extreme weather events. Abdulaziz, 45, stands at the heart of this transformation, shading his eyes beneath his straw hat. “I used to wake up to silence,” he says. “Just dust and dry wind. Now, I wake up to colour.” His voice carries the weight of years spent watching his homeland wither. A former migrant worker in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Abdulaziz returned to Yemen in 2017 during the war, seeking safety and a sense of purpose. Instead, he found devastation, economic collapse, parched fields, and a village on the brink of giving up. “There were days when my neighbours couldn’t even afford bread,” he recalls. “People got by on borrowed flour and whatever scraps they could find. We had land, but it was useless. Without water, there was no hope.”   In a country where more than 17 million people face acute food insecurity and over 15 million lack access to water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH), Abdulaziz’s village, Al-Hajar, reflected a wider national crisis. Yemen’s agriculture sector, which supports around 70 per cent of the population, has been battered by years of conflict, erratic rainfall, and unsustainable groundwater use. Rain-fed farming had become unreliable and with no irrigation system in place, farmers could only watch their land dry up under the rising heat. That changed in 2024, when a gravity-fed water system arrived – an initiative by the International Organization for Migration (IOM), designed to capture and distribute spring and rainwater by following the natural slope of the terrain. Simple, sustainable, and rooted in community ownership, the project offered a climate-smart solution to a growing crisis. “The design used the landscape itself,” says Saleh Tayseer, the IOM WASH field engineer who oversaw the project. “We built a reinforced concrete tank connected to a mountain spring, then laid a distribution channel that runs like a river through the village’s farmland. No diesel, no pumps – just gravity and coordination.” But as Saleh explains, the real key wasn’t just engineering – it was participation. “We didn’t just build a system. We restored belief. We listened. Every metre of that channel was mapped with the farmers’ help. That’s what made it work.”   Abdulaziz, who became a volunteer mobilizer for the project, helped bring the village together – organizing meetings, resolving land disputes, and encouraging people to get involved. “People were skeptical at first,” he says. “But when they saw the water running, they started to believe again.” The impact has been transformative. Abdulaziz walks through farmland now bursting with green barley and rows of tomato vines. “This used to be dead soil,” he says, gesturing to the crops. “Now it feeds families. One of my neighbours harvested over 25 sacks of barley, enough to last the whole year.” In just one season, nearly every household in the village found a new way to earn a living. Some planted potatoes, others okra, and a few began selling vegetables at the local market. “You should’ve seen the joy when the first harvest came,” Abdulaziz says, his face lighting up. “For the first time in years, we weren’t just surviving. We were living.” For a long time, families here measured water in minutes. “Ten minutes per family each week during the dry season,” Abdulaziz explains. “That’s all we had. Imagine having to choose between drinking and watering your crops.”   Now, with water stored and distributed more efficiently, time feels different. “I don’t have to fetch water before dawn anymore,” he says. “I spend that time in the fields, with my kids.” The revival of Al-Hajar isn’t just a local win – it’s a reminder of what’s possible when communities are given the tools to face climate shocks head-on. Yemen is the third most vulnerable country to climate impacts. In 2024 alone, over 538,000 people were displaced due to climate-related shocks like flooding and droughts. The need for practical, nature-based solutions has never felt more urgent. This project shows how water – the most basic of resources – can do more than sustain life. It can restore dignity, rebuild livelihoods, and bring a sense of calm after years of uncertainty. Instead of waiting for water trucks or hoping for rain, farmers now run their own irrigation system, supported by a local water committee trained to keep it going.  “This isn’t just engineering,” says Saleh. “It’s resilience; it’s how communities adapt.” Today, more than 11,000 people benefit from the system, with plans to expand. The materials are local, the technology is low-cost, and the approach is replicable in rural areas facing similar challenges. The collaboration between humanitarian agencies, technical experts, and villagers like Abdulaziz is proof that impactful solutions are born not in isolation, but in partnership.   As Yemen’s conflict enters its eleventh year, hope can feel out of reach. Peace remains fragile. Needs continue to rise. But in this quiet valley in Ibb, something is shifting. “Before this system, 90 per cent of the land here was barren,” Saleh says. “Now it produces food, supports families, and brings dignity. One farmer told me, ‘I no longer fear the rain – I pray for it.’ That, to me, is real change.” Abdulaziz gazes across the rolling green hills. “I don’t want my children to inherit drought; I want them to inherit possibility,” he says. “This land used to be silent. Now it whispers, grows, and feeds. All it needed was water.” On this World Environment Day 2025, the message is clear: when we invest in nature and in people, we don’t just tackle climate change – we nurture possibility. Abdulaziz’s story is just one, but it echoes the experience of millions across Yemen who continue to cultivate resilience in the face of crisis. “To us, this water channel is more than infrastructure,” he says. “It’s a lifeline – for the land, for our children, and for our future.”  IOM’s project in Ibb is implemented with funding from the German government via KfW Development Bank. 
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In June 2018, I stepped once again through the doors of the United Nations Development Programme building in Sana’a. It wasn’t unfamiliar territory—this marked my fifth role there since 2002. But something about this return felt different.“You’ll be hired when a project is born, and released when it ends." Words of my professor from the University of Bradford are etched in my mind from a couple of decades ago. A thought that has stayed with me ever since. Over the years, I moved between roles at United Nations entities, international organizations, and Islamic Relief—always ready for new beginnings. Between 2002 and 2012, I worked in areas related to reducing poverty, empowering youth, and advancing governance-related programmes. By the end of that decade, I thought I had seen it all.New beginnings
Becoming UNV Country Coordinator was not just another post. My job was to establish the UNV Field Unit in Yemen and expand volunteerism in the middle of a national crisis. It was rewarding—but a hard road to travel. No red carpets, no smooth paths. Just purpose. I received strong support when I started my assignment, along with multiple online trainings and an onboarding workshop in Cairo. There, I met Toily Kurbanov, then UNV’s Deputy Executive Coordinator. I didn’t get much time with him until the end, when I went to shake his hand goodbye. He held my hand and said: “Look Abdullah, if I regret one thing in this workshop, it's that I did not talk with you enough.”  From there, I returned to Sana’a not just as a country coordinator, but as a committed UNV ambassador for Yemen—determined to take real action on the ground. This is what words of acknowledgment do—ignite a flame in you to keep at it, no matter the obstacles.Test of diplomacy
In 2018, after a UNV mission, I received a call from a government office. Nervous, I informed one of the UNDP managers. He said, “Don’t worry—others have been called too.” At the meeting, the officers asked what UNV was doing. I explained. Days later, I saw him again—this time at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. He smiled and said: “We’re happy UNV is hiring more volunteers.” My heart was back in place, with a quiet sense of victory. By December, we held our first International Volunteer Day celebration inside the Ministry, co-chaired by the Minister and the UNDP Representative. By the end of 2018, I was doing more than promoting UNV. I soon realized I was working through political sensitivities in one of the world’s most complex environments.Data to deployment
In early 2019, we launched the Yemen National UNV Database. What began as a simple question—“Would UN entities be interested in recruiting nationals of Yemen?”—quickly evolved into something much greater. We gathered over 4,000 volunteer profiles, 21 percent of them were women, and I presented the findings and potential for action at the joint meeting with the UN in the country. It bore fruit, and the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights recruited 20 Yemeni nationals as UN Volunteers. By the end of 2019, our numbers had risen from 11 to 28 volunteers. By 2025, the database had grown to 11,000 volunteer profiles, becoming a true national talent pool.More than a photo
Later in 2019, Achim Steiner, UNDP Administrator, visited Yemen.
Commenting on the relationship between UNDP and UNV, the Administrator said, "UNV is one of our most successful programmes. I encourage everyone to hire more volunteers. And don’t forget the Online Volunteering service—it’s excellent.” After the session, I asked for a photo. He agreed, “You’ll send the photo to Bonn, won’t you?” Today, that photo hangs in our UNV office in Sana’a—a moment that reminded me our work doesn’t go unnoticed. Year of the pandemic
In 2018, during a walk through the UNDP garden in Sana’a, I met Dr. Florence, head of the UN Clinic. “I was a UN Volunteer in Haiti,” she shared. After 20 years in hospitals across Cameroon, she had joined the Haiti earthquake response as a volunteer. I didn’t know then how important that meeting would become. When COVID-19 hit in 2020, UN Resident Coordinator Lise Grande gathered us in the garden and announced the pandemic. The UN Headquarters was sending urgent guidance. Her message was clear: act together. The UNV field unit pulled together 71 doctors and 61 nurses from the database. Soon after, Dr. Florence and I formed a pandemic task force.We hired 65 medical professionals for the pandemic task force and expanded UN medical services across seven cities. I worked late nights, made nonstop calls—living the spirit of volunteerism. Later that year, WHO Jordan called: “We heard about your work. Can you help us recruit UN Volunteers in Amman?” We did. Five Jordanian volunteers were deployed. That year, UNV Yemen earned deep respect, within the UN and among government partners, thanks to the dedication of our field unit. The week of inspiration
In 2022, the International Volunteer Day in Sana’a was a moment for us at UNV Yemen to be center stage. Toily Kurbanov, whom I met when I first joined UNV, traveled to Yemen, this time as the Executive Coordinator, to celebrate the occasion with volunteers in a hardship duty station. I was responsible for much of the logistics in what was one of the most intense and meaningful weeks of my career. His words stitched courage into our seams. They were not only for me, but for all of us in Yemen, who, despite challenges, go on day after day, making sure the spirit of volunteering stays relevant. The Executive Coordinator spoke of his Yemen mission upon his return to UNV headquarters at a townhall: “UNV in Yemen is highly recognized as a system-wide service provider. The efforts to modernize and decentralize UNV have been clearly reflected in Yemen, as acknowledged by UN partners.” He wished all Bonn-based staff could have seen firsthand how their policies were making a real impact. The proof is in the pudding, as they say! UN Volunteer numbers increased from 11 in 2018 to 28 in 2019 to 119 in 2020. By 2024, there were 150 UN Volunteers in the country with 12 UN entities. What I feel today is a sense of pride and accomplishment, not just for my growth, but for the strength and credibility UNV Yemen has built. After more than a decade of relentless crisis and conflict, the people of Yemen are now facing what may be their most challenging year yet. Ongoing violence, economic collapse, and climate shocks deepen humanitarian needs. At the same time, critical aid is dwindling due to severe funding cuts. Volunteers go on doing what they're best at! Compassion and solidarity. So no red carpets for us, here, in Yemen, but it's a path full of purpose.  , filtered_html

Yemen is running dry—and fast. With scarce rainfall and strained water systems, communities are facing shrinking harvests, exacerbating food insecurity. In response, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), with support from the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development and KfW Development Bank, launched the Integrated Water Resources Management to Enhance Resilience of Agriculture and Food Security project. United Nations Volunteers (UNV) in Yemen is supporting this project by recruiting Yemeni nationals as UN Community Volunteers.In Al-Mawaset and Al-Selw districts in Taiz Governorate and Al-Mosymer and Tuban districts in Lahj Governorate, UNV is encouraging local community volunteers to take the lead, working part-time on this environmental initiative. In March 2025, UNDP Yemen brought four part-time UN Community Volunteers on board—one for each district—to serve as a link between project teams, contractors, and local communities.Their mission—keep communication flowing and ensure that everyone, from village councils and water associations to district authorities, is aligned and engaged. They help prepare sites, coordinate logistics, and smooth out any bumps along the way, whether it’s resolving social challenges, addressing community concerns, or ensuring construction waste is properly managed.The project has multiple focuses: enhance water access, promote food security, and support local communities in the Tuban watershed. How? By fixing critical water infrastructure.The volunteers work closely with district engineers, safeguard specialists, the project manager, and local authorities. From verifying land ownership and organizing public consultations to helping protect women and children near construction zones, volunteers ensure the project is safe, inclusive, and relevant for the community.The four UN Community Volunteers, Abdulhabeb, Abdulwahab, Ali, and Sabri, shared, “Frequent travel and maintaining strong team communication due to poor network coverage were among the challenges we faced. In addition, managing multiple urgent tasks and writing reports in English was a common difficulty.”Yet, this group of four refused to let these challenges hold them back. By collaborating with the broader team, they transformed obstacles into opportunities and found simple ways to overcome them. “To cope with network issues, we used SMS and WhatsApp to stay in touch and switched to smartphones so the IT team could set up work emails. We planned our travel carefully, combining site visits to reduce costs."Despite being in the field, Abdulhabeb, Abdulwahab, Ali, and Sabri stayed connected through virtual meetings and joined a two-day UNDP workshop in Aden to learn how to coordinate better. "We regularly checked in with our supervisors to prioritize tasks and asked for support when needed. Thanks to help from the programme team and our local focal point, we also got assistance with preparing reports in English.”Key project outcomes include boosting crop yields, improving water governance, promoting self-reliance, and engaging women in income-generating agriculture.Water is life—and in Yemen, it’s the foundation for food security and resilience. Having community volunteers involved in this project is not just about restoring wells and canals—it’s a powerful reflection of how UNV continues to adapt and stay relevant, even in the face of conflict. For more information, please contact: Abdullah Al Duraibi UNV Country Coordinator Yemen Sana'aEmail: abdullah.al.duraibi@unv.org, filtered_html

Aden, Yemen For years, Yemen has been fighting outbreaks of cholera and other epidemic prone diseases. In the bustling streets of Aden, where life continues against what often seem insurmountable odds, Al-Mualla Diarrhoea Treatment Centre (DTC) provides a beacon of hope for families battling the devastating impacts of cholera.Behind every life saved is a story of determination, compassion and unrelenting dedication – stories like that of Dr Khalid Mohammed Jaber, an internal medicine specialist working at Al-Mualla, on the forefront of the battle against cholera.Dr Khalid’s efforts, supported by the US$ 3 million King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Centre (KSrelief)-funded cholera response project, have helped transform Al-Mualla facility into a lifeline for those most in need. From providing free of charge care to spreading awareness about prevention, his work shows what targeted funding can achieve.“Every patient feels like one of my own children”For Dr Khalid, treating cholera patients is more than a job – it is a vocation rooted in empathy.“When a patient recovers, it feels as if one of my own children has been healed,” he said. “The joy is immeasurable. It reassures me that my efforts are making a difference.”By ensuring the availability of essential treatments, diagnostic tools and follow-up care, the KSrelief project has significantly enhanced the Centre's capacity to care for cholera patients. According to Dr Khalid, the support has made a substantial difference. It allows patients to access previously inaccessible care for free, alleviating the financial burden on families and allowing the Centre to deliver effective treatments on time.Despite these achievements, challenges remain. Dr Khalid emphasized the importance of public awareness in preventing cholera.“Health education is crucial,” he said. “I use every opportunity – at the clinic, in mosques, during conversations – to inform people about the importance of handwashing, food safety and environmental hygiene.”There are varying levels of understanding within the community. Dr Khalid observed that while some individuals recognize the importance of these practices, others struggle to adapt and change their habits. Acknowledging that progress takes time, he is optimistic that meaningful change can be achieved.  Sustaining the fight against choleraIn Yemen, where many families struggle to afford even a basic meal, the KSrelief-funded cholera response project has become a lifeline for the country’s most vulnerable, offering hope and tangible support in the fight against cholera.By reducing the financial burden of treatment, the project has made health care more accessible. By providing essential resources and supplies, it helps ensure that health care facilities are equipped to respond to outbreaks. Through comprehensive training and capacity-building programmes, it empowers health workers to deliver effective care and protect their communities from this devastating disease.By prioritizing the accurate dissemination of information, the project effectively addresses misinformation and helps ensure accurate messages reach communities, fostering better awareness and understanding.Through a multifaceted approach, the project not only addresses immediate health crises, it is helping to lay the foundations for long-term health resilience in Yemen. This collaborative effort highlights how partnerships can create meaningful change, bringing lifesaving support to those who need it most.“The funding allows us to work with dedication and honesty, lifting the burden from our patients’ shoulders. But the fight isn’t over – we must continue to raise awareness and provide care until cholera is no longer a threat,” said Dr Khalid.At Al-Mualla DTC in Aden, every patient treated represents a life saved—a life that could have been lost without the critical, life-saving intervention provided through this important intervention.Since its launch, this project has given a second chance to 250 individuals, including 178 patients suffering from moderate to severe dehydration who were admitted for urgent treatment between November 1 and December 18, 2024. These patients were on the brink of losing their lives to cholera, a ruthless disease that can claim lives within hours due to rapid fluid and electrolyte loss.Their survival is a powerful testament to this intervention, transforming what could have been tragedies into stories of hope and recovery. Each case is not just a number, but a life saved—a mother, father, child, or sibling. With the continuation such important support, countless more lives can be spared, preserving families, futures, and communities. KSrelief support to this centre along with four additional centres,  essential medicines and medical supplies, training and supervision of health workers and incentives for staff working 24/7. This vital support ensures that those affected by cholera can access timely care, preventing further suffering and saving lives across Yemen., filtered_html