Selah Foundation for Development, represented by its Executive Director, Mr. Ali Hassan Bashammakh, along with Dr. Omar Naser Bajuba, Director of the Water and Environment Department, and Abdullah Bin Hadjah, Office Manager of the Executive Director, participated in a panel discussion organized by the Saudi Program for the Development and Reconstruction of Yemen. The session was titled: “Closing the Gap: Aligning Yemen’s National Strategy with Donor Support and Local Efforts in Combating Desertification.”
The panel was attended by prominent figures, including Yemen’s Minister of Water and Environment, Engineer Tawfiq Al-Sharjabi, the Assistant Supervisor General of the Saudi Program for the Development and Reconstruction of Yemen, Engineer Hassan Al-Atass, the UN Under-Secretary-General and Executive Director of UNEP, and the Executive Director of UNICEF.
This participation took place as part of the 16th Conference of the Parties (COP16) of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification, held in Riyadh from December 2–13, 2024. The conference marks the first of its kind in the Middle East and is considered the largest environmental conference hosted by Saudi Arabia.
During the panel discussion, Mr. Ali Hassan Bashammakh highlighted Selah Foundation’s efforts to strengthen community resilience against the impacts of drought and desertification. He elaborated on the foundation’s diverse projects in food security, energy, water, agricultural land rehabilitation, and support for smallholder farmers. He also shed light on the hardships faced by communities affected by climate change, emphasizing the need for innovative solutions to achieve sustainable development.
At the conclusion of its participation, Selah Foundation for Development called for the formation of a national coalition aimed at enhancing efforts to combat desertification and working towards shared visions that contribute to implementing Yemen’s National Desertification Combat Plan with the support of donors.
