Local Participatory Development Models For Postwar Reconstruction in Yemen

The humanitarian crisis that has come to dominate public perception of Yemen since 2015 has left the country's social and civil infrastructure in major disrepair. Postwar recovery and reconstruction will be an essential component of long-term stability in the Persian Gulf and Red Sea subregions. The unchecked distribution of large sums of foreign aid to postwar Yemen has the potential to perpetuate the country's underlying political conflicts without substantively contributing to its much-needed economic development. Similarly, a top-down approach that privileges foreign donors is likely to encounter political and logistical obstacles and may end up devolving into a divisive patronage system. The solution to some of these obstacles may be found in localizing the distribution of development aid, which relies on existing networks in the reconstruction of economic infrastructure. Yemen's history of community-driven development can be the key to a sustainable post-conflict future.