A NETWORK OF CHALLENGES
The government says more people have died in recent years due to clashes over water than in the civil unrest of 2011 and 2012.
The cultivation of water-hungry qat, a plant chewed for its stimulant effects, now takes up a majority of Yemen's irrigated land. Each year, the area irrigated for qat cultivation grows at roughly 9 per cent. In the end, qat cultivation could deplete the water in rural areas and consequently wipe out the rural economy.
The provision of basic services such as water and energy continue to fuel widespread discontent and civil unrest. Unless the political and economic crises are reversed, ecological destruction and water scarcity will continue to fuel local social conflicts over water resources and supplies.
There is significant overexploitation of groundwater resources, especially in the highlands.
WHAT WE ARE DOING ABOUT IT
1 million
Approximate number of people in 2014 who benefited from the improvement of water storage and distribution facilities in urban areas (Saada, Taiz, and Aden cities) due to work that was carried out in partnership with local water boards.46,500
Approximate number of people living in rural areas of Yemen who received water through various initiatives in partnership with local water boards.450
Number of people in Amran, displaced due to the conflict in the northern, central and southern parts of the country, who received water via water trucks in 2014.
