U.S. Assistance to Yemen

government has allocated more than $642 million in security and civilian assistance to Yemen since fiscal year 2007. The Department of Defense (DOD), the Department of State (State), and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) have provided the majority of this assistance. DOD has allocated approximately $326 million for security assistance, while State and USAID have allocated more than $316 million for civilian assistance. The U.S. assistance strategy in Yemen is designed to create a stable and secure state. This strategy includes both a security element focused on counterterrorism activities and a civilian element focused on development activities. The strategy seeks to address security needs as well as the underlying economic, social, and political grievances that can lead to violent extremism. U.S. officials have stated that assistance activities under this strategy have had to adjust to the changing security situation on the ground. Yemen is the most impoverished country in the Middle East and North Africa region, facing numerous economic and social challenges. The country has a scarcity of natural resources, severe water and fuel shortages, and a declining oil production. According to U.S. officials, at least 43 percent of the population lives on less than $2 per day, and more than half of the population of 23 million is under 18 years of age. The unemployment rate for youth is estimated to be 53 percent, and the overall illiteracy rate in Yemen is over 47 percent. The U.S. government has worked with the government of Yemen to try to address these economic, social, and political challenges. State and USAID have led development and humanitarian activities, while State and DOD have conducted counterterrorism activities. Amidst the political turmoil of 2011, the Yemeni government struggled to address the terrorist challenges throughout the country, although it increased its cooperation with the United States on intelligence sharing and counterterrorism operations. The U.S. assistance strategy in Yemen emphasizes both security and civilian assistance. This strategy is designed to support the U.S. goal of a stable and secure Yemen. According to State officials, the assistance strategy is twofold, focusing on both security and civilian assistance. The security element includes counterterrorism activities, while the civilian element includes development activities. The strategy seeks to address security needs as well as the underlying economic, social, and political grievances that can lead to violent extremism. Since fiscal year 2007, the U.S. government has allocated significant amounts of assistance to Yemen. In fiscal year 2010, allocations reached their peak after a failed bomb attack on a U.S.-bound airline by a Yemeni-trained Nigerian citizen in December 2009. However, in fiscal year 2011, allocations declined sharply due primarily to the political turmoil in Yemen and the difficulty of implementing training and equipping programs in such an environment.