Sana'a: The World Bank has approved a USD 30 million grant to Yemen, aimed at enhancing digital financial infrastructure and maintaining access to basic education for children in the country's most disadvantaged regions.
According to Kuwait News Agency, the World Bank's statement highlighted that the financing will support two new projects intended to improve access to essential services while reinforcing institutional resilience. The first grant, valued at USD 20 million, will finance the Yemen Financial Market Infrastructure and Inclusion Project, which will be implemented by the United Nations Development Program (UNDP).
The second grant, amounting to USD 10 million, will fund the Sustaining Education and Learning Project, to be carried out by the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF). Yemen, plagued by over a decade of conflict, is among the world's most fragile and impoverished nations. The ongoing crisis has severely disrupted public service delivery, fragmented institutions, and led to the erosion of human capital.
Currently, more than 60 percent of Yemeni households report inadequate food consumption, with limited access to quality education and formal financial services, particularly affecting women and rural populations. The World Bank's support in Yemen focuses on providing essential services while laying the groundwork for medium-term recovery.
Dina Abu-Ghaida, World Bank Group Country Manager for Yemen, emphasized the importance of these initiatives, stating, "These new operations reflect our continued commitment to supporting the people of Yemen in meeting their most urgent needs. By investing in core infrastructure that enables children to stay in school and families to access financial services, we aim to preserve human capital and support more inclusive, resilient service delivery."