The poorest nation in the Arab world struggles with high population growth, 40% unemployment and a persistent flow of refugees from Somalia. In the next decade, its 22 million citizens will compete for increasingly scarce water supplies, as aquifers are drilled, pumped and drained unsustainably.
Yemen: Reform or bust
Published August 8, 2008
Yemen is the poorest country in the Arab world. Its 22 million-strong population is set to double by 2035 at the current rate of growth, but it's fast running out of water – and oil. Yemen's state structures are weak and incomplete, and the country faces substantial development challenges.
I reported from Yemen for a year – from 2006 to 2007 – and now I'm back to see whether recent reforms are diffusing social, political and economic pressures in this fragile state.
Project
A new Chatham House briefing paper co-authored by Ginny Hill examines the relationships between Yemen and its Gulf neighbors as political change sweeps the region.
Ginny Hill is a British freelance journalist, writing and broadcasting on Yemen. She has reported for the BBC and NPR.
Gateways
Project
Grantee
Ginny Hill is a British freelance journalist, writing and broadcasting on Yemen.
She has reported for the BBC and NPR. Her articles have appeared in the Christian Science Monitor, the Independent,...
