LocationsYouth are the future in Yemen
July 16, 2025
Young Yemeni men in Socotra posing for a group photo after playing football on a beach
In Yemen, young people make up almost thirty percent of the population. Ensuring education and vocational training opportunities are widely available is key to empowering this burgeoning community with the skills to succeed.
From specialty food processing to engineering, Yemen’s young people are overcoming adversity by upskilling and breaking into diverse fields of work.
Yasser runs "Mr. Robot Center" in Ma'alla, Aden, where he provides training on engineering and robotics. He's passionate about providing practical, real-world skills, but his center faced a significant hurdle: a lack of essential materials for hands-on training. This limited the type of practical courses he could offer.
Yasser, Mr. Robot Center.
With support from the World Bank’s International Development Association, Yasser is one of many young entrepreneurs empowered by UNDP and the Small and Medium Enterprise Promotion Service (SMEPS) across Yemen to improve their income-generating businesses. Yasser was provided with financial support to purchase a carving machine, laptops, motors, Programmable Logic Controller devices, and solar panels. This support has transformed the center, allowing him to implement practical applications that truly mimicked factory environments and, thanks to the solar panels, he tackled persistent electricity issues.
Yasser’s center saw a significant increase in courses and a 30% rise in revenue, thanks to the training, consultations, and financial support he received through the Emergency Social Protection Enhancement and COVID-19 Response Project (ESPECRP).
Mr. Robot Center.
Mr. Robot Center.
Ashjan’s small enterprise in Marib Governorate isn’t just a business; it’s a testament to her entrepreneurial skills. Supported by the European Union and Government of Sweden through the Enhanced Rural Resilience in Yemen (ERRY) III Joint Programme, Ashjan, along with 79 other young women, received comprehensive training in value-added sesame processing. This hands-on skill, from cultivation to extraction and packaging, turned a traditional crop into a source of income for Ashjan and her family.
“Some people were surprised to see a woman running a sesame oil press,” Ashjan shares. “But I proved to them that women can succeed in any field they choose.”
Ashjan’s journey illustrates how practical skills can ignite economic recovery.
Ashjan pours freshly extracted sesame oil into a container, ensuring quality for her customers. She has built a loyal customer base for her high-quality products.
In Yemen’s coastal communities, youth are not only contributing to the economy but also championing environmental sustainability.
Through the Aden Fishery Harbour (AFH) Project, with funding from the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) through Kreditanstalt für Wiederaufbau (KfW), young people like Baraka have transformed their passion for cooking into sustainable seafood enterprises. After receiving business management training and essential equipment, Baraka turned her home kitchen into a thriving business that provides fresh, local seafood to her neighborhood. Her business model promotes local sourcing and reduces food waste, showing how youth-led enterprises can support green value chains while empowering women entrepreneurs.
Baraka preparing a seafood dish in Aden, Yemen.
“The training equipped me with the business skills I needed to launch and sustain my seafood enterprise,” said Baraka. “Today, I’m proud to offer healthy, locally sourced meals while contributing to my community’s food security and economy.”
A group of women producing home decorations from seashells.
Warda designs accessories from seashells.
Warda, a young woman from Aden, is turning waste into home decor, also with support from the same project. After attending specialized training on fish by-product utilization and receiving a small grant, she launched a creative business producing eco-friendly accessories and gift items from recycled seashells. Her initiative not only creates income but also contributes to marine conservation and waste reduction.
“The training opened my eyes to how fish waste could be repurposed into something valuable,” said Warda. “With the grant and mentorship, I’ve started a business that supports my livelihood.”
Further contributing to the sustainable development of Yemen’s coastal communities, through the Sustainable Fishery Development in Red Sea and Gulf of Aden (SFISH) Project, funded by the World Bank’s International Development Association, young women like Fatima are leading by example in responsible marine resource management.
Fatima received support in the form of technical training, tools, and market access to establish her fish processing business. She now contributes to both her family’s income and community food systems while promoting quality standards and reducing waste, key elements in climate-smart fisheries.
“Before the project, I lacked the knowledge and tools to run a proper business,” said Fatima. “The support I received helped me build confidence, improve product quality, and operate in a more sustainable and professional way.”
Fatima showcasing her home-made tuna brand.
Fatima during the preparation of tuna production.
In Radfan area, Lahj Governorate, Ali, a young man who once faced unemployment, now meticulously handles circuit boards and wires. He is a skilled mobile maintenance technician, a trade he mastered through the International Labour Organization’s Apprenticeship Programme, a component of the UNDP-backed ERRY III Joint Programme. This initiative, which has trained 795 apprentices across seven governorates, empowered Ali not only with technical skills but also with entrepreneurial capacities through the Start and Improve Your Business (SIYB) training. Provided with a toolkit upon graduation, Ali is now planning his own mobile phone repair business, embodying the programme’s goal to equip young Yemenis for sustainable livelihoods and self-reliance.
Young graduates from the Start and Improve Your Business (SIYB) training.
Miles away, in Taiz Governorate, Nahla and Sally, two brilliant young women, are working as successful engineers. The local community needed resilient infrastructure, and Nahla and Sally were at the forefront, applying newly honed engineering and design skills to create sustainable solutions.
The young women showcase how technical expertise empowers youth to lead. Nahla and Sally are now problem-solvers, employing their acquired knowledge in practical applications to rebuild critical community assets.
Nahla is determined to make a lasting impact on the construction industry, focusing on proving her capabilities. “I plan to continue working in this field and invest in the necessary equipment to compete and win more bids,” she asserts.
Sally also views her current project as a stepping stone. “These experiences build a solid foundation for my career,” she explains, reflecting on the long-term benefits of engaging in community development projects.
Through the World Bank-funded Projects, Emergency Social Protection Enhancement and COVID-19 Response Project (ESPECRP) and Food Security Response and Resilience Project (FSRRP), UNDP supported Nahla and Sally primarily through its community contracting approach, which directly involved them in local development activities, providing the practical experience and exposure needed to secure their livelihoods and contribute to their communities.
Nahla and Sally working with fellow engineers in Al-Misrakh District, Taiz Governorate.
Across Yemen, young people are tackling climate change with new skills. They're learning drought-resistant farming, designing water-harvesting systems, and leading awareness campaigns. Their acquired practical skills in sustainable agriculture and resource management are a potent force against environmental degradation.
As Yemen faces increasing water scarcity, rising temperatures, and land degradation, there is an urgent need to strengthen young people’s ability to respond effectively. Therefore, equipping young people in Yemen with the skills to address climate change is essential for both environmental resilience and long-term development. Training in areas such as sustainable agriculture, water management, and renewable energy can support practical, locally driven solutions. Providing access to climate-related knowledge also enables youth to take part in decision-making processes, ensuring their voices are reflected in policies that affect their futures. At the same time, building skills in green sectors opens up pathways to employment, helping young people contribute to both economic recovery and environmental stability.
Through partnerships with the Global Environment Facility (GEF), the Green Climate Fund, the Government of Japan, and the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) through the KfW Development Bank, UNDP is scaling up its support in Yemen by advancing integrated solutions to climate change, water scarcity, and environmental degradation. This includes designing and implementing strategic interventions aimed at strengthening national and local capacities in addressing climate change, disaster risk reduction, sustainable energy, and ecosystem conservation. Focused on supporting evidence-based policymaking and strengthening institutions, UNDP is also engaging communities to build long-term resilience through supporting small-scale farmers, women, and vulnerable groups with incoming-generating initiatives and empowerment through tailored technical training.
Farmers in Yemen tend to their crops.
Yasser, Ashjan, Baraka, Warda, Fatima, Ali, Nahla, and Sally symbolize the thousands of young Yemenis whose lives are transformed by skills. In 2024 alone, over 7,000 Yemenis across the country received support from UNDP to start sustainable businesses in vital sectors like coffee, honey, henna, and fish processing.
This impactful support led to the launch of over 2,000 new enterprises, demonstrating that investing in youth skills is a crucial investment in Yemen's recovery, fostering resilience, innovation, and self-reliance for a brighter tomorrow.
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