Aden, Yemen, 5 October 2020 - UN-Habitat’s team in Yemen, along with the Ministry of Public Works and Highways, marked World Habitat Day with a workshop on urban development challenges in the country.

Participants, including government representatives and urban planning experts, discussed several papers on housing policy and the Sustainable Development Goals as well as land use and slums in Aden, and the need to deal with the damage caused by war and natural disasters.

The Prime Minister of Yemen, Dr. Maeen Abdulmalek, sent a video message referring to the challenges and catastrophic consequences of the protracted conflict, natural disasters, and the related displacement of over 3 million people. He mentioned that the Yemeni Government has signed an Memorandum of Understanding  with UN-Habitat in 2019, launching a new phase of partnership to enhance the capacities of local and central institutions on urban planning and contribute to the recovery process at national and local levels.

In his video message, the Director of UN-Habitat’s Regional Office for Arab States, Erfan Ali, said UN-Habitat in cooperation with various national and local government agencies, was responding to the essential needs of Yemen by focusing on urban planning, rehabilitating water and sanitation facilities, and protecting and promoting housing, land and property rights.

 UN-Habitat’s representative in Aden, Mohammed Zain, provided an overview about work that had been implemented since the start of the UN-Habitat Programme in Yemen, as well as future planned projects.