AGP Executive Report

Yemen Humanitarian Crisis: The UN says Yemen is edging closer to collapse, with millions facing hunger and shrinking aid coverage as the war grinds on. Yemen Economy Under Strain: The World Bank reports Yemen’s economy contracted again in 2025 and is likely to decline further in 2026, citing blocked oil exports, weak demand, and reduced humanitarian funding. Yemen Energy Support: Yemen’s Presidential Leadership Council thanked Saudi Arabia for a $150 million grant of oil derivatives to keep power plants running and ease daily suffering. Earthquakes in Yemen: Yemen’s Dhamar Province recorded a sixth earthquake in May (magnitude 3.1), with no initial damage reported. Water & Heritage: Archaeologists uncovered massive ancient water reservoirs at Egypt’s Red Sea port of Aydhab, highlighting how historic infrastructure supported trade and pilgrimage routes. Climate & Drylands: A new report warns desertification is advancing fast, with the Sahara expanding southward and more land becoming permanently drier. Nature in the Gulf: Abu Dhabi launched a project tagging 100,000 native trees to monitor and protect desert ecosystems.

Desertification & drylands: A new UN-linked discussion warns that more than three-quarters of land is becoming permanently drier, with the Sahara expanding southward into the Sahel—raising stakes for Yemen’s already fragile dry ecosystems. Native trees & biodiversity: Abu Dhabi is tagging 100,000 native trees with digital IDs to monitor and protect species like ghaf, samar and sidr—an approach that highlights how better tracking can support wildlife and soil stability in arid regions. Yemen’s economy & basic services: The World Bank says Yemen’s real GDP fell again in 2025 and may drop further in 2026 as conflict blocks oil exports, cuts essential spending, and leaves humanitarian funding far below needs. Power for Yemen (environment + health): Yemen’s PLC thanked Saudi Arabia for a $150m grant of petroleum derivatives to run diesel/mazout power plants—aimed at easing shortages that hit hospitals and daily life. Earthquake monitoring: Yemen’s Dhamar Province recorded a 3.1 quake (sixth in May) with no initial damage reports, underscoring the need for resilient infrastructure. Agriculture & food security: Yemen’s agricultural sector is reported to have grown since 2015, with gains in grains and legumes, including wheat expansion in al-Jawf. Climate & conflict impacts: Research on Gaza highlights how war-driven emissions and damaged infrastructure can push fragile systems closer to collapse—an environmental warning relevant to Yemen’s ongoing crises. Sana’a autism awareness: A campaign in Sana’a parks launched for early autism diagnosis and community awareness, coordinated with health, environment and education ministries.

Yemen Humanitarian Crisis: The UN says Yemen is edging closer to collapse after a decade of war and neglect, with more than half the population needing aid, acute malnutrition among millions of children, and healthcare access still collapsing as funds shrink. Energy & Power Resilience: Yemen’s Presidential Leadership Council thanked Saudi Arabia for a $150 million grant of oil derivatives to keep diesel- and mazout-run power plants operating, aiming to ease daily suffering and stabilize services. Earth & Risk Monitoring: Yemen’s earthquake monitoring center reported a new 3.1 quake in Dhamar Province (sixth in May), with no initial damage, highlighting ongoing seismic activity. Agriculture & Food Security: Yemen’s agricultural sector is said to be growing despite blockade pressures, with grain up 21% and legumes up 31% from 2015–2025, and wheat expansion in al-Jawf to narrow the import gap. Climate & War’s Footprint: Research warns climate shocks and conflict emissions are pushing fragile systems toward collapse, including findings on massive CO₂e from the Gaza war—an environmental warning that echoes across the region. Regional Environment Link: A UNESCO World Heritage travel feature on Cinque Terre spotlights how landscapes and ecosystems depend on careful protection—an indirect reminder for Yemen’s own fragile environments.

Yemen Humanitarian Crisis: The UN warns Yemen is edging closer to collapse after a decade of war and neglect, with millions needing help, acute malnutrition among children, and severe healthcare access gaps. Power & Energy Support: Yemen’s Presidential Leadership Council says Saudi Arabia’s $150m grant of oil derivatives will help run diesel/mazout power plants and ease suffering. Earth & Climate Risks: Yemen’s earthquake monitoring reports a sixth tremor in Dhamar this May, with no initial damage reported. Food Security & Agriculture: Yemen’s agricultural sector shows resilience, with reported gains in grain and legumes production from 2015–2025 and wheat expansion in al-Jawf. Water & Heritage: Archaeologists report massive ancient water reservoirs uncovered at Egypt’s Red Sea port of Aydhab, highlighting historic trade and pilgrimage infrastructure. Academic Recovery: Yemeni universities sign steps to rebuild global academic links via a national network of international relations offices, supported through EU Erasmus+ work. Regional Environment Link: UN-backed research highlights how climate shocks and conflict-driven emissions can push fragile systems toward collapse.

Humanitarian Crisis: The UN warns Yemen is edging closer to collapse, with millions facing acute hunger, malnutrition, and lack of healthcare as the war grinds on. Energy & Power Access: Yemen’s PLC and the government thanked Saudi Arabia for a $150m grant of petroleum derivatives to keep diesel/mazout power plants running and ease daily suffering. Earth & Hazards: Yemen’s earthquake monitoring center reported a new 3.1 quake in Dhamar, the sixth tremor recorded there in May, with no initial damage. Food Security & Agriculture: Yemen’s agricultural sector is seeing gains despite blockade pressures, including higher grain and legume production and expanded wheat cultivation in al-Jawf. Climate Accountability: The UN General Assembly backed a resolution affirming states’ legal duties to tackle climate change, while the U.S. voted against it—Yemen was among the opponents. Education & Environment Links: Yemen universities moved to rebuild global academic ties by creating a national network for international relations offices, aiming to reconnect higher education after years of isolation. Desertification Watch: A new report highlights how drylands are getting permanently drier worldwide, with the Sahara expanding southward—an issue with direct relevance for Yemen’s long-term land resilience.

Earthquake Watch (Yemen): Yemen’s National Center for Monitoring and Studying Earthquakes and Volcanoes recorded a sixth tremor in Dhamar Province on Monday (magnitude 3.1), with no initial damage reports. Food & Farming Resilience: Yemen’s agricultural sector is credited with gains toward self-sufficiency, including a 21% rise in grain output and a 31% rise in legumes from 2015–2025, with wheat expansion highlighted in al-Jawf. Energy for Power Plants: Yemen’s government thanked Saudi Arabia for $150 million in petroleum-derivatives support to keep Yemeni power plants running and ease humanitarian and economic strain. Climate & War’s Hidden Costs: New research warns that climate shocks are worsening Gaza’s fragility, while also flagging the overlooked carbon footprint of conflict. Climate Accountability: The UN General Assembly backed an ICJ climate duty resolution, but Yemen was listed among countries opposing it. Desertification Warning: A new report notes drylands are expanding worldwide, with the Sahara pushing southward—an urgent reminder for Yemen’s arid regions.

Desertification Watch: A new UN-linked discussion warns that drylands are expanding fast, with the Sahara pushing southward and threatening ecosystems and livelihoods across the Sahel. Yemen Humanitarian Strain: Reports highlight how Yemenis are being forced to risk their lives smuggling qat into Saudi Arabia, showing how conflict and poverty keep driving dangerous environmental and border pressures. Water & Health in Yemen: Yemen’s authorities and health offices continue Eid visits and support for the wounded, underscoring how fragile healthcare access remains during extreme heat. Frankincense Protection: A cross-border effort aims to safeguard threatened frankincense trees tied to Wadi Dawkah’s UNESCO status, targeting overgrazing, resin harvesting, parasites, and climate-linked risks. Climate Justice in Global Courts: The UN’s climate crisis ruling is gaining momentum internationally, while major oil producers and some states push back—an issue that matters for Yemen’s long-term climate vulnerability. Sea Security & Yemen’s Coast: UK maritime updates describe armed security responses near Yemen’s waters, a reminder that shipping risks can quickly escalate around the Red Sea.

Desertification & drylands: A new report warns that more than three-quarters of the world’s land has become permanently drier since the UN Convention to Combat Desertification began, with the Sahara expanding southward into the Sahel—an environmental pressure Yemen communities already feel through water stress and land degradation. Climate, peace & local voices in Yemen: A Yemen-wide consultation (3,694 people across 13 governorates) under “Environmental Pathways for Reconciliation” found natural resources, environment, and climate change rank among top priorities for peacebuilding. Eid sacrifice services in Sana’a: Sana’a’s slaughterhouses and meat markets say 12 facilities are ready for Eid al-Adha, with pre- and post-slaughter inspections and hygienic waste disposal. Frankincense protection in Wadi Dawkah: A project with Oman aims to protect threatened Boswellia sacra trees at the UNESCO site, citing risks like overgrazing, excessive resin harvesting, parasites, and climate impacts. Food security pressure: WHO highlights severe hunger and weak services in DR Congo’s Ituri, underscoring how conflict, infrastructure collapse, and disease reinforce each other.

Desertification Watch: A new report warns that more than three-quarters of the world’s land has become permanently drier since the UN Convention to Combat Desertification began, with the Sahara expanding southward into the Sahel—an environmental shift that threatens Yemen’s wider dryland ecosystems. Yemen Water Management: In Sana’a, officials reviewed progress at the General Authority for Water Resources and Facilities, including projects to create lakes and water barriers to recharge groundwater and curb random well digging. Frankincense Protection: A project aims to turn Oman’s Wadi Dawkah into a global frankincense tourism and conservation hub, focusing on protecting threatened Boswellia sacra trees—relevant for Yemen’s own frankincense heritage. Eid Livestock Services: Sana’a’s slaughterhouses and meat markets office says 12 facilities are ready for Eid al-Adha, with pre- and post-slaughter inspections and hygienic waste disposal. Environment for Peace: A Yemen-wide consultation (3,600+ people) fed into a reconciliation project using natural resources, environment, and climate change as an entry point for locally led peacebuilding. Health & Hunger Link: WHO flagged DR Congo’s Ituri as both an Ebola hotspot and an acute hunger crisis—highlighting how malnutrition and weak services can fuel disease outbreaks.

Eid al-Adha pressure on food systems: Egypt’s meat crisis is being blamed on weak government planning for regional shocks, with Sudan-linked disruptions hitting live cattle imports and a fragile agricultural base making shortages worse. Yemen local readiness: In Sana’a, slaughterhouses and meat markets say they’re fully prepared for Eid sacrifices, with 12 equipped sites, health checks before/after slaughter, and around-the-clock service during Tashreeq. Strait of Hormuz tension: Fresh U.S.-Iran clashes and attacks near the waterway are adding uncertainty to talks aimed at ending the war and reopening shipping. Health and hunger warning: WHO says DR Congo’s Ituri is both an Ebola hotspot and one of the areas hardest hit by acute hunger, where insecurity is also shutting down health services. Yemen protest memory: Yemen Airways marked the one-year anniversary of an attack on a Yemenia aircraft during Hajj preparations, vowing accountability. Polio push: Horn of Africa and Yemen countries reaffirmed plans to stop variant poliovirus through tighter cross-border coordination.

Hormuz Deal Watch: US President Trump says a US-Iran agreement is “largely negotiated,” aimed at ending the wider war and reopening the Strait of Hormuz—though timing and terms remain unclear, with Iran insisting fighting must stop across fronts including Lebanon. Maritime Security in Yemen’s Orbit: Fresh reporting highlights how shipping and aid routes are still being disrupted by Middle East tensions, with Yemen-linked chokepoints like the Gulf of Aden and Hormuz staying central to risk. Humanitarian Pressure: A separate thread argues Israel is coordinating massive food deliveries into Gaza, while other conflicts—including Yemen—are cited as places where hunger is worsened by access and logistics breakdowns. Local Governance & Water: In Sana’a, officials reviewed progress at the General Authority for Water Resources and Facilities, focusing on protecting groundwater and stopping random well-digging. Health Access: Coverage also flags the ongoing closure of Sana’a International Airport and the knock-on effects for patients needing treatment and medicines.

US-Iran Deal Watch: Trump says a US-Iran agreement to end the war and reopen the Strait of Hormuz is “largely negotiated,” but timing and terms remain unclear as Tehran insists the fighting stops across fronts, including Lebanon. Hormuz Pressure on Yemen’s Lifelines: With shipping and medicine flows tied to Hormuz stability, any pause could ease disruptions—though Yemen’s own access problems are already stark, including reports of Sana’a International Airport closure leaving patients stuck between death and lack of medicine. Public Health Coordination: Yemen and Horn of Africa countries recommitted to ending variant poliovirus transmission, pushing stronger cross-border coordination and synchronized action. Water and Food Security: In Sanaa, officials reviewed progress at the General Authority for Water Resources and Facilities, while the economy ministry approved new food-industry standards and launched support for small and micro enterprises. Security Spillover: Reports claim Somali al-Shabaab fighters entered Yemen via smuggling routes, with meetings involving AQAP and even contacts with Houthi figures—raising fears of tighter extremist logistics.

Red Sea & Yemen Security: UKMTO issued a fresh Gulf of Aden alert after reports of skiffs approaching ships, including one seen carrying ladders and weapons; a separate incident near Socotra saw a tanker approached by five people before armed guards deployed and the craft retreated. Extremist Spillover: Intelligence sources say al-Shabaab fighters have entered Yemen via smuggling routes, with reports of meetings involving AQAP in Shabwa and later contacts with Houthi figures—suggesting deeper cross-border coordination. Humanitarian Pressure: Sana’a International Airport closure is leaving Yemen’s patients “between death & lack of medicine,” delaying surgeries and blocking critical drug deliveries. Aid & Health: QRCS, Qatar Charity, and Sidra Medicine wrapped a Yemen paediatric cardiac mission—107 free interventions, including open-heart surgeries—plus training for local teams. Local Development: Sana’a University planted 2,400 authentic Yemeni coffee seedlings, while the economy ministry approved 102 updated standards for food safety and other commodities. War Politics: The week’s wider drumbeat remains the fragile US-Iran ceasefire talks and the UN climate vote backlash that included Yemen among the opponents.

Humanitarian Crisis: Sana’a International Airport remains closed, cutting off the main air route for Yemen’s patients and delaying surgeries and cancer care while also blocking the arrival of life-saving medicines like insulin and heart treatments. Diplomacy Watch: Fresh U.S.-Iran talks are being nudged forward by Pakistan’s mediation, with Oman also pressing for safer navigation through the Strait of Hormuz. Health & Aid: A Qatar Red Crescent–Qatar Charity–Sidra Medicine convoy just ended after 107 free paediatric heart interventions in Yemen, while UNRWA warns most Gaza children are displaced into tents and overcrowded shelters amid disease risk. Security & Trade: UK maritime authorities issued new Gulf of Aden alerts over skiffs carrying ladders and weapons, and another tanker near Socotra was approached before armed guards turned the craft away. Climate Law: Yemen voted against a UN-backed ICJ climate ruling, joining the U.S., Russia, Israel and others opposing liability-focused climate claims. Local Development: Sana’a University planted 2,400 authentic Yemeni coffee seedlings, and Yemen’s economy ministry approved updated food and commodity standards.

Humanitarian Crisis: UNRWA says most children in Gaza are now displaced, packed into tents and overcrowded shelters where rodents, severe crowding, and poor sanitation are driving disease spread—calling for large-scale entry of housing and humanitarian supplies. Local Development & Governance: In Sana’a, officials from Local Administration and Information discussed tighter coordination to boost public awareness on development priorities, including support for productive families and self-sufficiency. Health & Education: Yemen’s Medical Council convened ministries and university leaders to align academic exams with professional practice standards, while Sanaa University launched planting 2,400 authentic Yemeni coffee seedlings on reclaimed campus land. Economy & Standards: The acting economy minister approved 102 updated national standard specifications for food safety and other commodities, alongside interest-free loans worth 1.804 billion riyals for small and micro enterprises. Regional Security: UKMTO reported a tanker near Socotra was approached by a five-person craft that retreated after armed security deployed, as Gulf of Aden alerts also continue. Aid in Yemen: QRCS, Qatar Charity, and Sidra Medicine wrapped a paediatric cardiac mission delivering 107 free interventions and training for local staff. Climate Politics: The UN General Assembly backed an ICJ climate ruling, but the US and several others—including Yemen—voted against.

Maritime Security: The UKMTO issued a fresh Gulf of Aden alert after reports of armed skiffs approaching vessels, including one large craft seen carrying ladders and weapons; ships are told to transit with caution as authorities investigate. Red Sea Pressure on Yemen: Another tanker incident near Socotra saw a small craft turned away once an armed security team deployed—another reminder that Yemen’s nearby chokepoints keep drawing risk. Health in Yemen: A tripartite medical programme backed by Qatar Red Crescent, Qatar Charity and Sidra Medicine concluded in Taiz, delivering 107 free paediatric heart interventions (86 catheterisations, 21 open-heart surgeries). Polio Push: Yemen and Horn of Africa countries recommitted to stopping variant poliovirus through tighter cross-border coordination and synchronized action. Climate Law: The UN General Assembly backed an ICJ climate ruling on legal obligations; Yemen was among the countries voting against. Iran-US Tensions: Negotiation talk continues amid fears the war could resume without addressing Iran’s nuclear and missile threats.