In rural Yemen, crumbling infrastructure often cuts off entire communities from food, lifesaving care, education and economic opportunity. To bridge this gap, UNOPS is implementing the Yemen Emergency Lifeline Connectivity Project, a critical initiative restoring rural roads across the country.

Financed by the World Bank’s International Development Association, the project is helping more than 1.6 million people reliably access markets, healthcare and other life-sustaining services, through improved infrastructure and better connectivity.

The impact extends far beyond the pavement. By prioritizing local labour, the project provides immediate income and a foundation for building long-term community resilience for thousands of people in communities across the country.

In a three-part series, explore the impact the project is having in communities across the country.

Financed by the World Bank and implemented by UNOPS, the Yemen Emergency Lifeline Connectivity Project (YELCP) is a $50 million project running from February 2022 through June 2026. The project focuses on rehabilitating climate-resilient rural and village access roads to enable year-round access for communities facing extreme weather.

Beyond infrastructure, the project drives economic recovery by creating short-term jobs through community micro-enterprises, while also promoting gender inclusion through a dedicated internship programme for women engineers. YELCP is also helping create stronger institutions through training and capacity building initiatives focused on the transport sector. This promotes the longer-term sustainability of the rehabilitated road networks.