Aden – 23 June 2026

His Excellency State Minister Waleed Al-Abara emphasized the importance of strengthening the role of local actors in leading humanitarian and development work in Yemen, contributing to building a more effective, sustainable, and responsive humanitarian action that meets the needs of local communities.

This came during his participation in the conclusion of the Strategic Planning Workshop of the Yemen National Reference Group (NRG), which was hosted by the city of Aden over three days, with participation from representatives of government entities, donors, UN agencies, international and national organizations, civil society organizations, and representatives of local communities from Yemeni governorates.

His Excellency the State Minister highlighted that the government's orientations in the coming phase require strengthening the presence of local organizations at all levels of humanitarian and development work, empowering them to access funding, and participate in planning, implementation, and decision-making, as key partners in response, recovery, and development.

Minister Al-Abara commended the workshop's outcomes and the discussions it witnessed regarding Grand Bargain commitments, localization, equitable partnerships, and mechanisms to promote accountability and collective action, considering these dialogues an important step towards developing the humanitarian system in Yemen and strengthening the role of national institutions in leading response and recovery efforts.

His Excellency stated:

"Strengthening local leadership is no longer an option, but a necessity to ensure a more efficient and sustainable humanitarian response. What we witnessed during this workshop in terms of constructive dialogue and consensus among various partners reflects a genuine will to move towards more equitable partnerships and empowerment of national and local actors in Yemen."

He added that the government supports efforts aimed at expanding the participation of national institutions and civil society organizations in shaping humanitarian and development priorities, and promoting integration between humanitarian action, development, and peacebuilding in service of the interests of Yemeni society.

Minister Al-Abara concluded his remarks by emphasizing the importance of building on the workshop's outcomes and translating the agreed recommendations and action plans into practical steps that contribute to enhancing the effectiveness of humanitarian action and achieving sustainable impact for local communities across Yemen's governorates.

The workshop was organized by Tamaddin Youth Foundation (TYF) in partnership with Oxfam, facilitated by the Yemen Localization Initiative (YLI), and supported by the project "Humanitarian System Transformation through Local Humanitarian Leadership (HST-LHL)" funded by the European Union. The workshop aimed to develop a multi-stakeholder accountability mechanism to track the implementation of Grand Bargain commitments in Yemen, promote humanitarian system reform pathways through supporting localization, strengthening local leadership, and enhancing collective accountability and equitable partnerships among various actors.

National Reference Group

The National Reference Group (NRG) is a coordination and accountability mechanism regarding Grand Bargain commitments in Yemen. It operates within the framework of the Yemen Localization Initiative to promote a more just and effective humanitarian system through evidence generation, promotion of multi-stakeholder dialogue, and support for humanitarian sector reforms.

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