Yemen is facing a security threat, described by one expert as a “time bomb”. It is not al Qa’eda, the Houthi rebellion in the north or the secessionist movement in the south, though its influence cuts across all three. It is found in millions of households across the country, such as Bahaja al Hamily’s in Medinat al Layl, a slum on the outskirts of Sana’a. “We didn’t intend it,” she said. “We didn’t take in to account what we earn.” She gestures to the skinny toddler on her arm. “I had an operation after the ninth.”
Yemen has one of the highest population growth rates in the world. … High population growth rates are often associated with developing countries, and the ensuing youth bulge is often blamed as a factor in social instability. But when a country is suffering from a natural resource crunch and faltering economic growth, not to mention three internal conflicts, the picture becomes alarming. …
According to the [National Population Council], if population growth remains unchecked, the ailing economy, with an unemployment rate of around 40 per cent, will have to create more than 2.2 million jobs in the next 25 years. The country will need an extra five billion cubic meters of water—which it does not have—and to maintain already patchy health services it will have to train and employ an extra 10,000 doctors. The pressure of rising population levels, which have tripled since 1975, is already being felt in areas such as education, where there is reportedly one teacher for every 80 children, and transport. Access the full article>>
