Development assistance to Yemen being phased out

“Since 2020, Sweden has provided small-scale development assistance to Yemen. In light of the difficult security situation in the country and the increasingly destructive behaviour of the Houthis, we are now choosing to phase out our development assistance,” says Minister for International Development Cooperation and Foreign Trade Benjamin Dousa.

“The situation in Yemen makes it very difficult to effectively conduct and monitor development initiatives – not least in Houthi-controlled areas in northern Yemen. It is important that Swedish development assistance funds have maximum impact and do not risk ending up in the wrong hands,” continues Mr Dousa. 

The Government has tasked Sida with ending development operations in Houthi-controlled areas before the end of the year, and by 30 June 2025 in the rest of the country. This decision is in line with the reform agenda’s focus on long-term sustainability, transparency and effectiveness. In recent years, Sweden’s development assistance to Yemen has totalled approximately SEK 80 million annually.

Yemen’s population remains in need of humanitarian assistance, for which reason Sweden will continue to be a major humanitarian donor. Sweden’s humanitarian assistance to Yemen totals SEK 287 million in 2024. Sweden is also a major donor of core support to a number of UN agencies operating in Yemen, such as the UN Development Programme (UNDP), the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF), the UN Population Fund (UNFPA), the World Health Organization (WHO) and the World Food Programme (WFP).