The World Bank signed an agreement with Yemen on Wednesday to fund the Labor Intensive Public Works Project (LIPWP). The project is the fourth in a series of initiatives developed to produce employment and meet the immediate needs of Yemen's rural settlements and impoverished urban areas.
The agreement resulted in a $61 million grant signed by Inger Andersen, the World Bank vice president for the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) division, and Dr. Mohammed Saed al-Sadi, the Yemeni Minister of Planning and International Cooperation.
"This is the kind of help Yemen needs urgently now," Andersen said, according to the Yemen Post. "Citizens need to see their government deliver services and this project is rightly focused on marginalized and poor communities. Women and girls in particular will benefit with improved water supply and better access to primary education and health services."
The LIPWP agreement was approved by the World Bank board of directors on May 2, 2012. Yemen hopes to create an estimated 120,000 jobs per month with the new plan as well as improve conditions for underdeveloped areas with high-value public infrastructure.
Areas expected to see improvement under the LIPWP include health, education, water supply, sewage disposal, road paving, and vocational training.
The plan also hopes to strengthen social contracts through a collaborative effort between the state and respective citizens through a demand driven approach in an effort to secure long term sustainability.
Local communities will be expected to monitor the impacts of the project and exercise ownership of the entire process of implementation.
A Steering Committee, which has representatives from nine sector ministries and three non-governmental organizations, will host a transparent selection process for sub-projects of the LIPWP.
by RTT Staff Writer
For comments and feedback: editorial@rttnews.com
Business News