Yemeni Prime Minister Affirms: Relocating the Social Fund for Development’s Administration to Aden Is a Sovereign Decision
Yemen Monitor / Newsroom:
Yemeni Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Shay’a Mohsen Al-Zandani chaired a meeting of the Board of Directors of the Social Fund for Development in the temporary capital, Aden, on Thursday to discuss the fund’s current situation and its work plan for the coming phase, and to approve measures to ensure the continuity of its development programs, strengthen its institutional stability, and reinforce the principles of governance, transparency, and independence.
Al-Zandani, who also serves as chairman of the fund’s board, affirmed that the government would continue to support the Social Fund for Development as one of the country’s leading institutions in implementing development programs. He stressed the government’s commitment to providing the guarantees necessary for the fund to carry out its mission efficiently and independently, maintain the confidence of partners and donors, and ensure that funding reaches its intended beneficiaries in line with development and humanitarian objectives.
The prime minister explained that completing the transfer of the fund’s main administration to the temporary capital, Aden, is a sovereign decision of the Yemeni state and falls within the government’s constitutional authority to manage national institutions. He emphasized that the fund would continue implementing its programs and projects from Aden in accordance with the highest standards of management and governance.
Al-Zandani accused the Houthi movement of interfering in the fund’s affairs in recent years, saying that such practices had undermined the institution’s independence, weakened the principles of governance and transparency, and eroded partners’ confidence in the institutional work environment. He stressed that the government would not allow the fund to be subjected to pressure or coercion.
He reiterated that the government views donors as strategic partners in recovery and development efforts, noting that the coming phase will witness further improvements in the institutional work environment to ensure the optimal use of resources and strengthen the fund’s position as a national model for managing and implementing development projects throughout Yemen.
The board opened its meeting with a minute of silence and prayers for the late acting Executive Director of the Social Fund for Development, Engineer Wissam Qaed, who was killed in an assassination in Aden, praising his contributions to development and local communities.
The board also heard a report from Acting Executive Director Mohammed Al-Ban on the fund’s current situation and the strategic plan aimed at ensuring the continuity of its work and enhancing legal and institutional protections for its programs.
At the conclusion of the meeting, the board expressed its full support for the government’s measures to complete the transfer of the fund’s operations to Aden, strengthen its independence, and enable it to continue its role in supporting recovery and development efforts and improving services and livelihoods for citizens across Yemen.
