[07/07/2026 05:49]

ADEN – SABA
The Minister of Social Affairs and Labor and Deputy Chairman of the Board of the Social Fund for Development (SFD) Mukhtar al-Yafaei held a virtual meeting Tuesday with the European Union Ambassador to Yemen Gabriel Munuera Viñals (or Patrick Simonnet if reflecting the Arabic source), along with international officials, to discuss the current situation of the Social Fund for Development, ways to strengthen its national role, and mechanisms for ensuring the continuation of cash assistance programs targeting eligible households.


Participants emphasized the importance of maintaining the operations of the Social Fund for Development as a key national institution responsible for implementing social and development programs.

They also discussed ways to enable the Fund to continue its interventions through transparent institutional mechanisms and internationally recognized standards, thereby strengthening social protection and local development efforts.

During the meeting, Minister al-Yafaei reaffirmed the government's commitment to keeping international partners informed of its policies and priorities regarding the management of social protection programs.

He stressed that the government should serve as the supervising authority for any assistance or grants provided across all regions of the country, ensuring that such support is delivered within the appropriate humanitarian and development framework.

The Social Fund for Development represents an important national pillar in advancing social protection and local development.

Minister al-Yafaei said: "Preserving its role and institutional independence is a shared responsibility, enabling it to continue its interventions from the temporary capital, Aden, while maintaining nationwide coverage across all governorates and serving eligible families and vulnerable groups without discrimination."

For their part, the international partners reaffirmed their commitment to continuing cooperation with the Yemeni government in support of the Yemeni people and in strengthening social protection and development programs.

They highlighted the importance of working according to identified priorities and needs, in partnership with the relevant government authorities, to effectively serve eligible beneficiaries across various social and development sectors.

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