Assil Zakariya
The war in Yemen erupted eight years ago and directly led to the destruction of the social fabric of the country, not to mention the killing of thousands of civilians. It has also resulted in record-high unemployment rates. But the matter did not end there, as Yemen is now suffering from one of the worst humanitarian crises in the world, with around 80% of the population in need of humanitarian aid, according to United Nations reports.
As Yemen teeters on the brink of the abyss, civil society organizations have played crucial roles in attempting to push the community towards recovery from the crises it has been constantly experiencing. They have focused on programs and projects that can bring about positive change in reality and make the community more resilient and stronger in the face of the crises it is suffering from, thereby enhancing its social resilience.
The Youth Without Borders for Development Organization, in partnership with the University Youth Foundation and youth initiatives in Taiz Governorate, worked on issuing a report entitled "Issues of Community Resilience in Taiz Governorate 2022." This is one of the few studies and reports that have addressed the shortcomings in public services, as well as the role that local authorities, donor organizations, and civil society organizations are expected to play in enhancing community resilience in the governorate.
The study pointed out that the local community in Taiz is suffering from several problems due to the war, including a high demand for housing due to displacement and destruction of infrastructure, with the lack of government electricity coming in second, as 80% of the targeted sample suffer from a lack of electricity, and those who have electricity struggle with its high cost and poor service. In addition to many other community issues addressed in the report, which threaten social cohesion, as 88% of the sample use firewood instead of gas, and 58% permanently suffer from difficulty accessing healthcare services, in addition to the high costs of education and travel, and the lack of security and justice.
In order to achieve community resilience, organizations must seriously seek to target youth because they are the basic pillar of society, as they are the group with the most capabilities and skills, in addition to the talents they possess. Therefore, civil society organizations in Yemen, specifically in Taiz in the center of the country, focus primarily on youth, considering that youth participation is necessary to provide effective humanitarian assistance to the community.
The study issued by the organization Youth Without Borders and its partners included a set of recommendations that civil society organizations are supposed to implement to work on enhancing community resilience in the governorate. The projects and programs implemented by civil society organizations in Taiz are expected to directly contribute to creating a more positive society, as long as they are implemented according to logical plans and studies, and through the involvement of all active community groups in the planning and implementation of these projects.
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