One of the speakers of Cordaid’s Yemen conference is the Dutch Ambassador to Yemen, Peter-Derrek Hof. As a prequel to his keynote address, he discusses the conflict, international aid, and the lack of gender equality. ‘Women need access, more than so-called capacity building.’
In Yemen, Cordaid closely collaborates with the Embassy and the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Over the past few years, we have worked together on a range of topics, notably mental health care, sexual and reproductive health services, and humanitarian aid.
‘The Dutch’ have a longstanding aid track record in Yemen, as Ambassador Hof proudly indicates. ‘Our 44-year development cooperation programme in Yemen is the longest-running development programme of the Netherlands in the world. We’re known and respected for it in Yemen. It has given us a reputation of independence, of always siding with the Yemeni population. It also gives us good access to all parties in Yemen, which we can use in our diplomatic efforts to work towards a just and inclusive peace in Yemen.’
‘Meaningful participation, especially of those who are kept out of power, like youth, women, ethnic minorities, is essential. This is complicated. But not impossible.’
Hof was only recently appointed ambassador to Yemen in September last year. After decades of diplomatic service, notably in Central America, Brussels, New York, and Paris, he is now deployed in one of the world’s toughest places. Seven years of war in the southern part of the Arabian peninsula have caused the world’s largest humanitarian crisis.
Hof is not physically based in Yemen. For security reasons, the Dutch Embassy in Sana’a closed in 2015, and he and his team operate from Amman, Jordan. Security and COVID-19 permitting, he and his team members try to travel to Yemen.
The conflict in Yemen is very complex. How would you describe it?
‘The Yemen war consists of many conflicts with many conflicting parties. The Houthis control large parts of the country, notably the city of Sana’a, the government in Marib and Taiz, the separatist Southern Transitional Council in Aden, and other militias on the west coast. Each has its armed forces, each backed internationally by the Saudis, Iran, or the Emirates. It’s a Yemeni war with far-reaching military and political regional involvement.
At the moment, no solution seems in sight. In fact, Yemen’s fragmentation is increasing. The battle for oil-rich Marib is ongoing. When the Houthis win this, they might conquer the rest. But a military victory will not solve anything. On the contrary, it will only further increase human suffering.’
What is the solution?
‘The fighting has to stop, and all parties must get together around the table. Not just the armed groups and the political leaders but every part and parcel of Yemen’s political and societal fabric. Meaningful participation, especially of those who are kept out of power, like youth, women, and ethnic minorities, is essential. This is not easy. It’s extremely complicated. But not impossible. It’s what we, as the Netherlands, aim for with our development programme and diplomatic efforts. Because a ceasefire alone between the warring parties will not bring peace. The basic ingredient of durable peace is inclusivity.’
Dr Bilqis Jubari, co-speaker on Cordaid’s Yemen conference, psychotherapist, and mental health pioneer, points out the devastating effects of Yemen’s deeply ingrained male dominance and the lack of gender equality. How are you contributing to the inclusivity of Yemeni women?
‘Dr Jubari is right, Yemen is one of the worst countries for women to live in. It has the second biggest gender gap after Afghanistan. Gender-based violence is rampant at home and by state actors. Politically active women and female journalists are arrested and disappeared. More girls are forced into early marriage due to the conflict. Sexual violence is used as a weapon of war. Over four million people are displaced, and most of them are women and children. The political representation of women is deplorable. The current government has no women, which is unacceptable.
‘Female police officers persevered. They broke taboos and harmful gender norms. They are now an example to other women. And men.’
So, improving gender equality is as important as it is difficult. But is it possible to improve the situation, bit by bit? For the Netherlands, the meaningful participation of women in the peace process is a priority. This is why, for example, we support Yemeni women’s organisations that have developed a feminist roadmap to peace.
I have talked to many Yemeni women, experts, leaders, and heads of NGOs online and during my travels. Clearly, the priority is not so-called ‘capacity building’. Women need access. To finance, to circles of power and influence, to high-level negotiations. On local levels, women have already played a leading role in mediation initiatives and exchanges of prisoners. Their leadership, expertise, and peacebuilding skills are unquestionable. However, they are barred from talks and initiatives on a national level. The national peace process has stopped in 2016. We support the UN Envoy in getting it on track again. And I truly hope this process will be resumed, in an inclusive way, with women in key positions.’
You have also supported female police officers in Yemen. Can you say something about that?
‘In Aden, we support the Female Police Academy. I was very impressed by the academy on my last visit to Aden. In the past, before the Yemeni unification of 1990, in socialist times, it was common to have female police officers. Since the conflict, there are hardly women left within the police. This academy trains women to do police work in police stations, at the airport, and customs. Their families support some of them; others meet with much opposition. They persevered, broke taboos and harmful gender norms, and are now an example to other women. And men.
Having more female police officers is vital. Where can GBV survivors otherwise go when they want to denounce an abuser, seek justice, or seek support? They won’t even try going to a station with only male police officers, who, generally, aren’t trained in handling GBV cases and are not aware of harmful gender patterns.
This project might not directly contribute to peace on a national level, but it certainly does contribute to peace and security on a more local level.’
The Yemeni women in this video are doing everything in their power to improve the situation in their country and tell us more about what we need to know and do to achieve peace:
We have to talk about the humanitarian crisis. What is the scope of the suffering, and how is the Netherlands addressing it?
‘Before the war, Yemen was already the poorest Arab country. The conflict has caused it to become the setting of the world’s largest humanitarian crisis. Two-thirds of the 30 million population needs some sort of life-saving humanitarian assistance. Four million people are forcibly displaced, most of them women and children. Two million kids cannot go to school. The same number of children suffer acute malnutrition. Half of the health facilities are in shambles. The crisis is everywhere, throughout the country and on all levels of life.
Then there’s the food crisis, which is not only about food shortages. It’s about prices. Yemen imports 90% of its food, and the war has severely disrupted transport and logistics. The insurance needed to ship food to Yemen is 16 times more expensive than to other destinations. That’s just one example. So, food is coming in but at great expense. On top of that, exchange rates are plummeting, inflation keeps rising, and salaries, if paid at all, evaporate. As a result, prices have skyrocketed, and people cannot even afford food for their children.’
So, where do you start? What are your priorities?
‘We focus on aspects of the crisis we, as the Netherlands, have expertise in, and those are underfunded. Last year, we spent approximately 18 million euros on humanitarian assistance and about 20 million on structural development. This combination of immediate relief, longer-term development, and diplomatic peace-building efforts is a cornerstone of our policy. Yes, we need to save lives. At the same time, it is vital to work on longer-term progress and tackle the economic crisis while the war rages on.
‘Yemen is the most water-scarce country in the world. Sustainable water management is of extreme importance.’
This is why, for example, we finance the Yemen Joint Response of the Dutch Relief Alliance. At the same time, in our structural development programme, we invest in better health care services, notably the underfunded sectors of mental health care and sexual and reproductive health services. For example, we support a voucher programme with Yamaan, a Yemeni foundation that provides health services. It allows pregnant women in rural areas to visit a clinic and have a safe delivery.
We finance short-term humanitarian water and sanitation responses but have also been promoting longer-term integrated and sustainable water management for many years. Yemen is the most water-scarce country in the world, so this is extremely important. With Dutch support, the Sana’a basin project, for instance, seeks to manage the decreasing aquifers more sustainably. We also invest in peacebuilding, justice, and rule of law initiatives, like the Female Police Academy I mentioned earlier.’
Is achieving longer-term changes and results possible while the war rages on?
‘Yes. It is extremely difficult. You must be very conflict-sensitive in your project design and everything you do. It is not only possible, but it is also vital. The UN is increasingly aware that pumping billions of dollars every year into humanitarian aid will not solve the crisis. The economic collapse due to the war constitutes a loss of over 100 billion dollars. You can’t fill that gap with humanitarian aid. You need to rebuild, reconstruct, and invest in long-term development.’
Is the crisis in the Houthi-controlled areas different from the crisis in the government-controlled areas?
‘That is hard to say because access to the Houthi areas is problematic. We can’t always get the right data, talk to the right people, and monitor the situation. Two-thirds of the people live in the Houthi-controlled areas, which is the worst-affected part of the country. But we should not downplay the suffering in other parts of Yemen.
‘The international community spent over 17 billion USD on short-term humanitarian aid in Yemen. It saved a lot of lives, but it does not help to solve the conflict.’
Humanitarian access is a problem in the entire country but plays out differently. In non-Houthi-controlled areas, it’s often not clear who is in control, and there’s a lack of governance. Operating in this vacuum is very dangerous. In the Houthi-controlled areas, lack of access is related to tight control and repression by the authorities. Humanitarian actors cannot move around freely.’
The Dutch Embassy collaborates closely with Yemeni civil society and international NGOs like Cordaid. How important is that collaboration?
‘It is very important. Local NGOs and INGOs have a presence on the ground. As an Embassy, we cannot be on the ground because of the conflict. Despite the many rules and regulations, insecurity, control, and bureaucracy, these humanitarian and development actors continue to do their valuable work. This presence on the ground of civil society is an important added value.
INGOs like Cordaid play an important role in localising aid and development. They strengthen Yemeni civil society actors and aid workers, giving them the responsibilities, resources, and expertise to do the job locally. Take our collaboration with Yamaan. It started as a small project, but we scaled it up. Today, Yamaan plays a prominent role in Yemen’s health care system. Their collaboration with Cordaid further strengthens them. Cordaid’s support for Dr Bilqis Jubari’s Family Counseling and Development Foundation similarly affects mental health care.
Localisation, putting Yemenis in the lead of the country’s relief and reconstruction operations, is important. After all, only the Yemeni people themselves are there during and, hopefully, soon after this war. Only they can truly rebuild the country and mend what the conflict has destroyed.
We still have a way to go. In particular, international NGOs still implement too much humanitarian aid directly.’
Dutch development cooperation in Yemen has been ongoing for 44 years. What lessons can you draw?
‘There are many, but let’s focus on some main ones. Even in the face of a massive humanitarian crisis, you need to continue longer-term development efforts. The international community has spent over 17 billion USD on short-term humanitarian aid in Yemen. It has saved many lives, but it does not help to solve the conflict.
More importantly, humanitarian, development, and peacebuilding efforts must be more integrated. Humanitarians, diplomats, and civil society actors working on separate tracks will not bring the country any further. We all need to work together in this so-called ‘triple nexus’. Take the example of humanitarian cash support. While humanitarians distribute cash and amounts per person based on minimum expenditure baskets, inflation rates and currency depreciation further flare up due to the conflict. The value evaporates, and with it, the humanitarian effort. Things are interlinked. We have to incorporate these interlinkages in the designs of our efforts.
Or take the issue of securely salvaging the Safer tanker, which for me as an Ambassador is a priority. This tanker is a ticking time bomb. It contains four times as much oil as the Exxon Valdez. It lies in Houthi-controlled waters and hasn’t been maintained for years. It could sink or explode at any moment, causing an ecological and humanitarian nightmare. We are working with the UN and other international partners to prevent one of the biggest oil spills in history.’
In a way, this integration of efforts reminds me of Dr Jubari when she says that you cannot separate the physical and mental suffering of GBV survivors from their economic challenges, their social exclusion, and the toxic gender patterns in society. In every individual case, you need to provide medical, legal, and economic assistance in tailor-made support. While at the same work on taboos, gender norms, on governance.
‘She is absolutely right. As an Embassy, we obviously play a different role, but we integrate our development cooperation efforts as much as possible. For example, we just renewed our support of a project that supports survivors of GBV. It focuses on protection, creating safe spaces for women. Parallel to that, it empowers survivors economically. Being physically protected between four walls is one thing. However, in the long run, GBV survivors need to be economically more independent and have their own sources of income.’
You represent the Netherlands in Yemen. Don’t you find it striking that Yemen, the country, the crisis, and the war hardly catch the news or people’s attention in the Netherlands? Compared to, for example, Syria or Afghanistan.
‘Yes, that is striking. It might have to do with the complexity of the conflict, with fatigue after seven years of war, and with the fact that newsworthiness is waning. Access to Yemen is so limited, also for journalists, that people don’t hear about the country. The Safer tanker did get some media attention, and NOS journalist Daisy Mohr has visited Yemen and done some excellent reporting. But overall, Yemen is very low on the radar.
‘The longer Yemen remains a fragmented patchwork of uncontrolled areas, the more it becomes fertile land for extremist and terrorist groups.’
The fact that the number of Yemeni refugees going to Europe is a lot smaller than people coming from Syria or Afghanistan also has something to do with it. Some flee the country, and we also see an increase in asylum seekers in the Netherlands, but overall, Yemeni people stay in Yemen. It is very hard to leave the country.
Cordaid’s Yemen conference is a good way to raise more awareness. That awareness is badly needed. First of all, because Yemenis are suffering. And also because the conflict affects the whole region and the Netherlands. Shipping routes will be blocked when the Safer tanker explodes. If the crisis is not solved, refugee numbers could increase, also in Europe. The longer Yemen remains a fragmented patchwork of uncontrolled areas, the more it becomes fertile land for extremist and terrorist groups. Al Qaeda has been very active in the past. This has global implications.’
Read more about Cordaid’s Yemen Conference on December 2nd.
Text and interview by Frank van Lierde