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Before the spread of COVID-19, seven years of conflict had already left Yemen facing what the UN has called the ‘world’s worst humanitarian crisis’. When the pandemic hit, Hayel Saeed Group (‘HSA’), Yemen’s largest private company, knew it had to take immediate steps to protect its employees, customers and communities.
The leadership team, led by Nabil Hayel Saeed Anam, drew up a comprehensive crisis plan that would protect its employees and ensure continued production of core staple goods that millions of Yemenis rely on every day.
As one of Yemen’s leading businesses, HSA felt additional responsibility to support the country’s fragile healthcare system and its response to COVID-19. It was clear that widespread community transmission of COVID-19 in Yemen would have a devasting impact. Moreover, HSA recognised that one company alone would not be able to provide the support needed.
HSA established a platform that would bring together public and private organisations with a shared desire to support Yemen's response to COVID-19, International Initiative on COVID-19 in Yemen (IICY). IICY combined a range of local and multinational private sector organisations, alongside the UN and WFP, to tackle the immense challenges that COVID-19 presented on the ground and use their collective resources and intelligence to support Yemen’s response to the pandemic.
As a result of the collaborative approach taken by HSA and the willingness of partner organisations, IICY has successfully facilitated the following donations to date:
- €220,000 from Tetra Pak to the WHO COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund
- $200,000 from the Hayel Saeed Anam Foundation to cover the salaries of healthcare workers in hospitals in Sana’a and Aden
- A shipment of 43 tonnes of laboratory supplies, ventilators, test kits, PCR machines and PPE into Yemen – donated by the Hayel Saeed Anam Foundation to the WHO
- 15,000 face masks, 1,000 protective suits, and one ambulance by Hyundai
In recognition of the impact on the ground, IICY’s leadership was recently featured in a UN DESA report on stakeholder engagement and partnerships during COVID-19, sharing the lessons learned as it responded to COVID-19 that may assist responses to future crises.
