Minister of Planning Discusses Strengthening Partnership in Education and Capacity Building with Save the Children and Amideast
The Minister of Planning and International Cooperation, and Yemen’s Governor to the World Bank Group, Dr. Afrah Al-Zouba, held two separate meetings in Washington, D.C., with the Chief Executive Officer of Save the Children UK, Moazzam Malik, and the President of the American organization Amideast, Ambassador Greta Holtz, to discuss ways to enhance partnership in the fields of education, institutional capacity building, and support for children and youth in Yemen.
During her meeting with the CEO of Save the Children, held on the sidelines of the 2026 Spring Meetings of the World Bank Group and the International Monetary Fund, Minister Al-Zouba praised the success of the education project implemented by the organization in partnership with the Yemeni government and funded by the World Bank. She called for accelerating the launch of its next phase, emphasizing the importance of strengthening the capacity of the Ministry of Education in project management and policy formulation, as a fundamental component of any future education initiative.
For his part, the CEO of Save the Children reaffirmed the organization’s long-term commitment to Yemen, which spans more than sixty years, noting that protracted crises require development tools capable of operating in fragile contexts, rather than relying solely on humanitarian funding.
In her meeting with the President of Amideast at the Yemeni Embassy in Washington, the Minister called for expanding the organization’s programs to include capacity building for civil service employees in government institutions. This includes providing specialized English language training for staff of the Central Bank, the Ministry of Finance, and service-oriented ministries. She also proposed linking Amideast programs with World Bank projects as a component supporting institutional capacity development.
In turn, the President of Amideast expressed the organization’s readiness to expand its programs in Aden and to present a comprehensive proposal, highlighting its successful experience in training diplomats and noting the possibility of transferring this model to Yemen.
Dr. Afrah Al-Zouba, in the presence of the Chargé d’Affaires of the Republic of Yemen in Washington, Imad Bamatraf, affirmed that education, job creation, and child protection represent top priorities on the Yemeni government’s agenda.
