[19/04/2019 08:52]

CAIRO-SABA
Minister of Social Affairs and Labor Ibtihaj al-Kamal has called upon International Labor Organization or ILO and donors to expand their interventions in fields of labor and decent work and activating youth plan as utmost priority under these difficult conditions facing Yemen's development.

"Unemployment and terrorism cannot be controlled without providing enough work opportunities for youth in addition to programs creating work opportunities and improving living conditions of displaced people and refugees in camps," said al-Kamal in a speech she delivered in the 46th round of Arab Labor Conference hosted by Cairo.

She confirmed that the government prepared draft law for labor in cooperation with employers and labors and the ILO and that this law is in line with international labor standards and meets demands of sustainable development.

She added that Arab Labor Conference is being held in difficult conditions facing Yemeni people over Houthi militia's coup against the state as the war triggered by the militia after their coup led to development backlashes, affected labor market and led to economy deterioration and destroyed infrastructure.

Despite economic hardship, the economic growth level is witnessing relative stability this year and stability in exchange rate by virtue of continuous efforts exerted by the government with support from Arab Coalition, she said.

"The government has approved 2019 budget, exporting oil has been resumed and improving financial revenues, which will lead to paying salaries of government employees- in liberated and non-liberated provinces- regularly despite rebels' control on resources and not handing them over to the headquarters of the Central Bank of Yemen in the transitional capital Aden," she added.

Minister al-Kamal pointed out that the government- in cooperation with the World Bank, UNICEF and local partners- is currently distributing cash assistances to about 1.5 million people in the framework of Social Care Fund, but said all government's efforts have been hindered when donors changed their priorities.

She expected that crisis' effects have led to increase levels of child labor in labor markets and new figures could be recorded and this means that million to three millions children have become out of social protection and face health and social dangers.

She confirmed that the government in cooperation with the regional office of ILO-Beirut seeks to implement two-year programs for banning child soldiers and dragging them into armed conflicts and re-integrating them in society.

She confirmed that recruiting children as soldiers has become a phenomenon under current conflict and pose a challenge to the government in terms of honoring international commitments included in signed agreements.

"The government is implementing a plan for banning recruiting children in cooperation with UNICEF," Minister of Social Affairs and Labor Ibtihaj al-Kamal said.

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