UNDP Yemen: Upskilling young professionals in Yemen: Revitalizing rural veterinary services

In Yemen, livestock play a crucial role in rural livelihoods, providing essential resources for sustenance and economic stability. Many Yemenis have reported that livestock are dying, even in areas close to major cities, due to the dwindling availability of quality veterinary care. There is a critical need for veterinary services across Yemen, and particularly in remote rural areas. 

Despite the high demand, providing quality animal health services in Yemen is increasingly challenging, largely due to economic hardship which has severely restricted the ability of the few practicing veterinarians to equip their clinics and stay up-to-date on training. Many veterinarians struggle to both find and afford training, especially when faced with the more immediate challenges related to supporting their families. 

The current situation in Yemen is a result of years of conflict, which has wreaked havoc on educational institutions and professional training programmes, resulting in a significant shortage of qualified veterinarians. Many professionals have been compelled to flee conflict zones or pivot to other occupations due to safety concerns and economic instability.

With generous funding from the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center (KSrelief), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Yemen, with local partner, the Small and Micro Enterprises Promotion Service (SMEPS), has embarked on initiatives to support existing veterinarians in Yemen. These efforts aim to help veterinarians revive and replenish their clinics, thereby enabling them to continue providing vital services to local communities. This approach not only aims to improve animal health but also to sustain a critical source of income for veterinarians and contribute to the overall economic resilience of rural communities in Yemen.

The Vocational and Business Skills Training and Support Project Phase II benefits 113 veterinarians and animal health workers across 12 districts—Al-Mukalla, Al-Qatn, Tareem, Al-Gayadah, Al-Waziya, Mawza, Salah, Al Shamayatain, Merkhah as Sufla, Marib, Al Maqatera, and Tuban—in six governorates of Yemen: Hadramaut, Al Maharah, Taizz, Shabwah, Marib, and Lahj.

Mr. Abdullah Awad Al-Aubthani, the Director General of the Office of the Ministry of Agriculture and Irrigation in Hadramaut Governorate, underscores the critical need for veterinary training: "Training is immensely valuable for enhancing knowledge and awareness, thereby improving the competency of trainees. It is essential to provide specialized supplementary courses to further develop and elevate their skills."

Access to veterinary services plays a vital role in the social stability and economic resilience of rural communities in Yemen by enabling livestock owners to sustain their livelihoods and support their families, reducing the risk of potential conflict and displacement caused by economic difficulties. Recognizing this, providing support to veterinarians in targeted areas through grants and training programmes benefits not only veterinary professionals, but also their surrounding communities.

Dr. Adnan Qasam Ahmed, a trainee from Marib Governorate, reflects on the training: "I gained new experiences and knowledge in the veterinary field that I was previously unaware of, including how to manage diseases that were widespread but unfamiliar to me."

“The biggest challenge we face as veterinarians in this region is the lack of resources,” says Dr. Saeed Omar from Hadramout. “My clinic doesn’t have all the necessary equipment, and I don’t have transportation to visit farmers and their livestock. Many farmers come to me without their animals and can only describe the symptoms, which makes it hard to diagnose and treat them.”

Anas Othman, a veterinary worker who participated in the training in Marib Governorate, shared his experience: “The training was excellent. I gained a lot in both theory and practice. The field trips were especially helpful, giving me practical knowledge on how to handle various animal diseases.”

Veterinary services are crucial in fragile country contexts because they provide educational opportunities and create jobs, helping to build a skilled workforce and support economic recovery and resilience.

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The Vocational and Business Skills Training and Support project (Phase II) aims to empower 1533 young women and men in rural areas with vocational, technical, and business skills, and nurture an entrepreneurship culture to enhance their employability and productive engagement in economic and local recovery activities. This project is funded by the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Centre (KSrelief). The project provides grants and technical training on a wide variety of in-demand professions across nine governorates and 24 districts:  Abyan (Ahwar and Khanfir), Lahj (Al-Maqatera, Al-Qabaita, Radfan, Ras Al-Arah, Tuban), Aden (Daar Saad), Marib (Marib), Shabwah (Ar rawdah, Merkhah as sufla and Rudum), Hadramaut (Al-Mukalla, Al-Qatn, Ash shihr, Tareem), Al Maharah (Al-Ghaydah and Huswain), Ad dhale’e (Ad dhale'e and Al-Azariq), and Taiz (Al-Shamayatain Salah, Mawza and Al-Waziya). The project builds beneficiaries’ capacities in the areas of food processing, textiles and handloom, and vocational skills such as car mechanics, carpentry, cell phone repairs, home appliance maintenance, veterinary services, solar energy systems installation and maintenance.