UNDP Yemen: Celebrating International Days

July 4, 2021

NDP Yemen celebrates a number of international days to raise awareness of the key issues being faced across the country, and to celebrate the work of the Yemeni people as they work to build a more resilient nation. For relevant International Days, UNDP Yemen highlights the contribution of Yemenis, NGOs and our projects to the nation’s recovery through collaboration with national institutions, implementing partners and local communities.

International Women's Day

Every year, International Women’s Day is celebrated on 8 March around the world. An opportunity to highlight and reflect on the social, economic, political, and cultural achievements of women, it also marks a call to action for accelerating women’s equality.

2021: Women in Leadership

UNDP is committed to empowering Yemeni women socially and financially – to enable them to support themselves, their families, and their communities to rebuild and achieve a sustainable future for all.

But there is a long way to go. In the most recent Global Gender Gap Index, Yemen ranked 153 out of 153 countries.

So, we asked our Yemeni colleagues, What will you choose to challenge in order to help us achieve gender equality?

Read our stories: International Women's Day, 2021

World Water Day

On 22 March water is celebrated globally. World Water Day was designated to raise awareness of the 2.2 billion people living without access to safe water.

2021: Valuing Water

In Yemen, one of the world’s most water scarce countries, rural communities suffer from difficult and limited access to clean water. In some areas, it is predicted that entire communities will become dry within a few short years.

Hear from Yemen’s youngest citizens: World Water Day: What Does it Mean to You?

World Tuna Day

In 2016, 2 May was designated officially as World Tuna Day. Tuna is a key economic sector in many coastal communities across the world and a significant source of food for many.

Nutritionally rich and highly sought after, Tuna have become a threatened species.

2021: The Global Tuna Industry

On World Tuna Day, UNDP Yemen and the Multi-county office of Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean jointly highlighted the importance of the blue economy to small coastal communities, and the contribution of Tuna fishing to the local and national economies.

Read our Exposures: 

World Bee Day

On 20 May each year, the world celebrates the essential role that bees and other pollinators play in keeping our planet healthy, and highlights the key challenges faced in preserving their populations today.

2021: Build Back Better for Bees

Every year, Yemen’s 1.2 million native bee colonies produce more than 1,500 tons of honey, providing income to an estimated 100,000 beekeepers.

Considered some of the best honey in the world, this rich, golden elixir is vital to local economic development and recovery for this conflict-ridden nation.

Read our exposure: Beekeeping in Yemen

World Environment Day

Since 1974, World Environment Day has been celebrated on 5 June. On this day we raise awareness of and call for action on urgent environmental issues from marine pollution and global warming to waste management and sustainable agriculture. 

2021: Ecosystem Restoration

From the high seas to the coffee-rich mountains, Yemen’s natural beauty faces the threat of an unpredictable and changing climate. After six years of conflict, little resources are available to support a transition to cleaner energy and more sustainable agriculture and municipal management.

But there is hope.

Meet Yemen’s own #GenerationRestoration – citizens from across the country committed to ensuring its beauty is preserved for future generations.

Read our exposure: World Environment Day: A Nation Threatened and a Community Committed