Baku: Yemen's Minister of Planning and International Cooperation, Afrah Al-Zouba, has revealed a significant deterioration in Yemen's development indicators over the past 12 years since the conflict began. She made these remarks during the 'Islamic Development Bank Resilience Dialogue 2026: High-Level Panel Session' at the Islamic Development Bank Annual Meetings in Baku.

According to Azeri-Press News Agency, Al-Zouba stated that approximately 80 percent of the Yemeni population currently lives in poverty, with half enduring multidimensional poverty. She highlighted that state revenues have plummeted by 70 percent, resulting in a substantial budget deficit. The depreciation of the local currency against the U.S. dollar has led to rising inflation and increased prices for essential services and goods.

Al-Zouba pointed out other serious indicators, noting that over 4.5 million children are out of school and stunting among children under the age of five has reached 49 percent. She emphasized that Yemen is significantly affected by climate change, ranking among the three most impacted countries globally. This exacerbates issues like water scarcity, depletion of water resources, increasing floods and droughts, disruption of agricultural seasons, and the weakening of the fisheries sector.

In response to these challenges, Al-Zouba outlined a strategic approach to prevent further deterioration. She emphasized the importance of preserving healthcare, education, energy, and other essential services. She also discussed the implementation of governmental reforms aimed at increasing revenues to fund critical expenditures, including salaries and services. Additionally, she stressed the necessity of job creation and infrastructure development to facilitate economic improvement and connectivity between communities.

Al-Zouba concluded by identifying these issues as domestic priorities and mentioned the need for international support to address Yemen's ongoing challenges.