PLC VP Al-Aradah Chairs Humanitarian Coordination Meeting in Marib

Vice president of Yemen’s Presidential Leadership Council and Governor of Marib, Major General Sultan al-Aradah, on Monday chaired a coordination meeting with humanitarian partners operating in the governorate, focusing on strengthening joint coordination and improving the humanitarian response amid mounting challenges. The meeting addressed key obstacles facing humanitarian operations and explored mechanisms to enhance cooperation between local authorities and humanitarian organizations, particularly in light of Marib’s severe humanitarian pressures. The governorate hosts the largest concentration of internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Yemen, amid ongoing waves of displacement, worsening economic conditions, natural disasters, and the impacts of climate change. These factors have significantly expanded humanitarian needs while constraining response capacity due to funding shortages and the scaling back of critical programs. Attended by Marib underescretry Dr. Abdulrabbu Muftah, heads of relevant government offices, representatives of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), international and local NGOs, and humanitarian cluster coordinators, the meeting featured briefings on projected needs and response plans for 2025. Presentations covered key sectors including food security and nutrition, health, education, shelter, water and sanitation, and protection, outlining achievements, challenges, and remaining gaps. In his opening remarks, al-Aradah welcomed humanitarian partners and praised their relief and development efforts. He reaffirmed the government’s commitment to facilitating humanitarian work and enhancing coordination and partnership with aid organizations. Al-Aradah underscored that Marib is carrying a humanitarian burden beyond its capacity after receiving millions of IDPs from across the country. He stressed the need for increased international support and more effective, sustainable interventions tailored to the governorate’s unique conditions, both within displacement camps and host communities. He also called for intensified humanitarian action and improved coordination in the face of the country’s deepening economic and humanitarian crisis, urging that assistance be guided by urgent priorities and reach the most vulnerable. Al-Arada emphasized the importance of a gradual transition from emergency relief to recovery and sustainable development programs to bolster resilience and reduce long-term aid dependency. Concluding his remarks, al-Aradah appealed to donors and humanitarian partners to expand and better integrate their interventions with government plans for economic stability and development. He urged that Marib be prioritized in humanitarian response strategies, noting that the governorate hosts approximately 62 percent of Yemen’s IDPs, and called for mobilizing resources to bridge widening sectoral gaps and support sustainable projects that improve living conditions.