Qatar’s Silatech steps up efforts to empower Yemeni youth with job opportunities

The conflict in Yemen began in 2014 when Iran-backed Houthi rebels took control of the capital, Sanaa. 

Qatari non-profit entity Silatech has partnered up with Arab Gulf Program for Development (AGFUND) to empower youth in Yemen under a new agreement, Qatar’s state news agency (QNA) reported on Monday.

According to the report, the two organisations will be “expanding” their funding of projects financed by the European Union that aims to support youth in the crisis-hit country.

The agreement was signed by Silatech’s CEO Hassan Al Mulla and Executive Director of AGFUND Nasser Bakr Alkahtani with the presence of officials from Qatar and the Riyadh-based company.

The report added that the Support to Youth Entrepreneurship and Financial Inclusion II project is a continuation of a previous EU-funded project that provided 30,000 self-employment and employment opportunities for the youth in Yemen.

The four-year project seeks to economically empower more than 50,000 young men and women across Yemen in addition to building a grant-funding scheme for youth-led and owned enterprises.

“It is hoped that the project will contribute towards supporting Yemen’s youth and breaking the vicious cycle of poverty and unemployment that plagues the country,” QNA reported.

The latest initiative comes at a crucial time for Yemen as it grapples with the world’s worst humanitarian crisis, triggered by years of war and a blockade on its key ports.

The conflict in Yemen began in 2014 when Iran-backed Houthi rebels took control of the capital, Sanaa. The following year, a Saudi-led coalition intervened at the request of the internationally recognised government, triggering the worst humanitarian crisis in the world and internally displacing 4.5 million people.

Last year, Yemen witnessed its first truce since 2016, bringing forth the calmest period in years for the war-torn country. The United Nations previously said the ceasefire led to a 60% decrease in civilian casualties and almost 50% drop in displacements.

Last week, the UN said that while there was a slight improvement in the food security situation in government-controlled areas, acute malnutrition is still rising.

“The United Nations and its partners made strides in rolling back the worst food insecurity last year, but these gains remain fragile, and 17 million people are still food insecure in Yemen,” David Gressly, the UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator for the country, said on Friday.

Last month, Saudi and Omani delegations held talks with Houthi rebel officials in the capital Sanaa as part of global efforts to bring an end to Yemen’s nine-year conflict.