The European Delegation to Yemen and representatives from the United Nations Development Programme, the Food and Agriculture Organisation, the World Food Programme, and the International Labour Organisation signed this week an EU-funded Joint Programme entitled to help rural communities affected by the conflict.
The Enhancing Rural Resilience in Yemen Programme (ERRY) aims to enhance the resilience and self-reliance of crisis-affected rural communities through providing support to livelihoods stabilisation and recovery, local governance and improved access to sustainable energy, a UNDP statement said.
With a budget of €34.8 million from the EU, it will be implemented over 3 years in four governorates in coordination with the Ministry of Planning and International Cooperation, the statement said.
"Yemen's most vulnerable sectors of society bear the brunt of the current conflict. The EU and four UN agencies have teamed up in a unique partnership to assist rural populations in the most affected provinces to help with improving food security, social protection and services. We will do this together with local authorities, Yemeni civil society and the private sector - all of whom stand to benefit from this programme.
EU Head of Delegation Muscheidt said: "This programme will do its part to lay the ground work for peace and stability in Yemen. It is a significant coincidence that at its signature peace talks on Yemen resume: Yemenis now need a comprehensive, durable ceasefire to facilitate implementation of much needed development programmes. Yemen's people and the plight of the poorest and most vulnerable should be at the heart of the negotiations."
Yemen has been facing a humanitarian catastrophe due to the armed conflict which has entered its nine month.
The UN said that 82% of of the total population, around 21 million, need urgent humanitarian aid.
Around14 million people lack access to healthcare, 19 million lack access to safe water, 14 million are food insecure and 320.000 acutely malnourished children, the UN said lately.
A blockade on all Yemeni sea, land and air routes has deepened the suffering as it has been depriving the country of supplies including food an medicines.
The blockade was part of the Saudi-led military intervention launched in late March against the Houthi militants who ousted the government.