Yemen is predominantly a rural country, with close to 70 percent of its population living outside urban areas. Irrigated agriculture is the primary source of food, employment and economic activity. Water scarcity poses one of the most significant constraints to increasing food production in a country where more than half the population requires food assistance. Further, the sustained fuel crisis across the country has affected thousands of farmers who use fuel-operated pumps for irrigation.

FAO, in partnership with the European Union, is supporting farmers by providing them with solar-powered pumps, water-saving drip irrigation kits and training on improved farming practices.

Rashed Abdullah, is a famer in Yemen who relies on the agricultural livelihoods to survive and feed his family. Rashid is a member of the water users association formed in his village by FAO for better water resources management. A group of farmers benefiting from a solar-powered community water well established by the FAO-EU project. This well serves a community of 400 people and every second week, the taps leading to Rashed’s crops are turned on to irrigate his farmland.

The project has set up 42 similar water pumps in various districts across the country, boosting agricultural resilience to economic and ecological shocks.

Watch the video