سبــق صحفي

This majlis is for English discussions, researches, articles...
أضف رد جديد
هاشمي
مشترك في مجالس آل محمد
مشاركات: 256
اشترك في: السبت إبريل 16, 2005 6:33 pm

سبــق صحفي

مشاركة بواسطة هاشمي »

Yemen
Overview
CIDA's development assistance to Yemen
The context

The Republic of Yemen was formed in 1990 with the reunification of the Yemen Arab
Republic in the north and the People's Democratic Republic of Yemen in the south. Marked by a brief, but devastating, civil war in 1994, the country has nonetheless succeeded in initiating significant political reform. According to the World Bank, Yemen is by most measures better off than it was in 1990, but there is still a long way to go.

Yemen is one of the poorest countries in the world, ranked 148th among the 175 nations on the 2003 United Nations Human Development Index. It is also the poorest and least developed country in the Middle East and North Africa region. Available per-capita water resources are among the lowest in the world and the total land available for potential agricultural use represents less than 10 percent of the country's land mass. About 42 percent of all households live below the poverty line. With a population of 18.5 million, 25 percent of adults are unemployed or underemployed, and this proportion is rising. The GNP per capita is US$460. Life expectancy is 56 years and the adult literacy rate is only 48 percent. Official projections predict a doubling of the population within the next 25 years. Presently, 47 percent of the population is under the age of 15. The gender gap is one of the widest in the world, with Yemen ranked 131st among 146 countries. With a high fertility rate, mother/child health issues are of particular concern.

Among Yemen's most pressing needs are health and education—particularly literacy—vocational training, and basic education for all, including girls. Another major issue is water resource management, involving both the availability of water supplies and the disposal of sewage. Most of CIDA's assistance to Yemen is channelled through the Canada Fund for Local Initiatives, which supports community projects in the areas of health, education, water, and economic self-reliance. This is in addition to other CIDA-funded projects in the fields of water management, immunization, and the rehabilitation of landmine victims.

CIDA's objectives

CIDA's objectives in the Middle East are to reduce poverty and promote peace and security. These objectives are consistent with Canada's long-standing foreign policy objectives and complement the programs of Foreign Affairs Canada in the area of human security. CIDA's approach in the Middle East region is based on the interconnection between peace and sustainable development.

CIDA's programming in the Middle East, as throughout North Africa, has three themes:



Support country efforts to reduce poverty and socio-economic inequities.
Offer assistance to countries that wish to achieve progress in governance and develop stronger democratic institutions.
Contribute to the enhancement of human security in the region and, in particular, support Canada's efforts in bringing a just and lasting peace to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Since 1992, CIDA has provided more than $10 million to projects in Yemen through a variety of channels involving bilateral (Canada Fund for Local Initiatives (CFLI)), multilateral, and partnership programs. CIDA continuously monitors its humanitarian and development programs in the Middle East to ensure that assistance is delivered to the most vulnerable people by prudently selecting its partners in development and by working closely with other federal departments and agencies. It continues to seek innovative ways to improve the effectiveness of its aid delivery by encouraging local ownership, developing new strategic partnerships, and increasing its field presence.

CIDA projects in Yemen

The CFLI supports a number of local community initiatives, particularly in the areas of the socio-economic integration of women, education, water, and economic self-reliance. The fund, which has more than tripled in recent years, helps small and rural communities meet their basic needs while developing local capacity, encouraging democratic participation, and involving women in decision-making. It has funded projects involving water resources, vocational training, school libraries, medical facilities, and human rights training.

CIDA is also supporting a Landmine Victim Assistance program through ADRA (Adventist Development and Relief Agency) Canada. The project is assisting 450 landmine victims, assessing their needs, ensuring their physical rehabilitation, and providing vocational training as well as small loans to allow them to become productive and self-sufficient. CIDA has also contributed to the follow-up on the initial Landmine Impact Survey in Yemen carried out through the United Nations Development Programme. CIDA was a principal funder of that earlier survey.

With CIDA's assistance, Canadian companies are also involved in water and waste water management projects.

In addition, CIDA is contributing to a polio immunization project carried out by ADRA Canada involving the provision of vaccines and equipment, the training of government and health care workers, as well as public education. Another ADRA Canada project supported by CIDA is providing training for community midwives and the strengthening of local health units.

As part of a multi-country, five-year program, CIDA is contributing to a Canadian Labour Congress project to enhance the capacity of Yemeni trade union leaders to deliver education and training to their members in the areas of occupational health, safety, and the environment, particularly for women. The project also has an English-language training component to assist Yemeni participation in regional and global information sharing and discussion forums.

CIDA's unearmarked contributions to the World Food Programme in the last three years have resulted in the delivery of more than 18,000 tonnes of Canadian wheat to Yemen at a value of more than $10 million. CIDA also contributes to the United Nations Development Programm, which is active in Yemen in the areas of poverty reduction, democratic governance, and sustainable natural resource management.

Developing a relationship

Canada's assistance program in Yemen is relatively young. CIDA is encouraging Canadian organizations to include Yemen in their regular programming and intends to develop a continued visible Canadian presence in the field.

Yemen has also benefited from CIDA's regional programs such as the Arab Parliaments, Poverty Reduction, and World Trade Organization Accession project as well as the Water Demand Management Forums. Its participation in such regional initiatives is likely to increase in the near future.
والله اعلم..
وَلاَ تَهِنُوا وَلاَ تَحْزَنُوا وَأَنتُمُ الأَعْلَوْنَ إِن كُنتُم مُّؤْمِنِينَ

أضف رد جديد

العودة إلى ”English Majlis“