EU and partners meet in Amman to discuss cooperation and shared priorities for Yemen
The fourth edition of the EU-Yemen Partners' Days, held on 28 and 29 September, brought together organisations implementing EU-funded programmes, Yemeni government representatives, European institutions and other development actors working across Yemen's humanitarian, development and economic sectors.
The event was opened by EU Ambassador to Yemen Patrick Simonnet and Yemen's Minister of Planning and International Cooperation, HE Mohammed Al-Faqmi, followed by a plenary session on EU-Yemen cooperation.
"We are here with our partners and stakeholders to identify shared priorities and practical, innovative ways to respond to Yemen's needs. By sharing experience and coordinating our efforts, we can make our support to Yemen more effective. Our commitment to Yemen goes beyond responding to immediate needs. It is about helping Yemenis rebuild livelihoods, access reliable services and shape their own future," said Ambassador Simonnet.
Discussions covered agriculture and food systems, investment, livelihoods and job creation, gender, media, water management, climate pressures and the private sector's role in Yemen, alongside political engagement and mediation support, communications, donor coordination and lessons from recent project evaluations.
Yemen's economic outlook featured prominently, with a session on scaling up investment bringing together development finance institutions, EU representatives and members of Yemen's private sector, and a dedicated business exchange focused on deeper engagement between European and Yemeni economic actors.
Water management was also a central theme, with sessions examining donor coordination on Yemen's groundwater crisis amid growing climate stress, and water management through the lens of culture, traditional knowledge and science-based innovation.
The second day included dedicated networking and project coordination meetings, giving implementing partners space to discuss ongoing projects and areas for closer cooperation.
The event underscored the importance of sustained dialogue between the EU, its partners and Yemeni stakeholders, at a time when Yemen continues to face significant humanitarian, economic, environmental and development challenges. The event concluded on 29 September with a session summarising the two days' discussions and outcomes.