Poverty rate lessens with Yemeni government and GCC support

The general poverty rate declined from 41 percent to 34.5 percent, while food poverty declined from 18 perecnt to 12.5 percent in Yemen, according to official statistics and Amat al-Razaq Humad, Minister of Social Affairs and Labor, during a seminar on poverty in GCC countries, held in Sana’a from May 6 to 8.

The seminar was organized by Social and Labor Affairs Ministry, in cooperation with the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). It discussed poverty issues and national strategies of alleviation poverty in addition to reviewing the millennium development goals in the GCC. 

Humad attributed the causes of the decline in poverty indicators to the economic policies of government and international support, which resulted in the London donor’s conference in 2006. The implementation of the executive matrix, the platform of president for poverty alleviation, the expansion of the umbrella of social welfare, and addressing the problem of unemployment all contributed to the decrease. 

The seminar was attended by specialists, officials, experts, and technicians from Yemen and the GCC states aimed at learning of the poverty situation and the ways of alleviating it. 

Humad explained the importance of a seminar on poverty that reflects a real trend to create unified standards for measuring indicators in the Arab world, which has common features and aspirations for economic integration. 

This seminar aims to study a variety of methodologies and techniques for measuring poverty in the countries, Salim bin Ali Al Muhairi, the Executive Director of Ministers Council of Labour and Social Affairs in the GCC.

Combating poverty is one of the Millennium Development Goals to be achieved through the study of living standards in GCC countries, by considering social policies and mechanisms used to create unified standards for poverty monitoring, and by trying to alleviate the negative impacts of poverty.

Yemen presented a work paper on Yemen’s experience in the alleviation poverty. 

The seminar’s result and recommendations will be reviewed in the coming meeting of Social Affairs Ministers of the GCC states and Yemen to be kicked off next November in Qatar. 

Several papers presented and about 70 participants from GCC and Yemen will take part.

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