Sana’a - Saba:
A workshop was held in Sana'a to discuss the phenomenon of begging under the title "Reverse Migration and the Resettlement Mechanism."
The workshop was organized by the Ministry of Social Affairs and Labor in cooperation with the Ministry of Administration, Local and Rural Development, and the General Authority for Zakat.
The workshop focused on addressing begging as a social and security phenomenon exacerbated by the economic conditions resulting from the war and blockade, leading to an unprecedented spread of begging, particularly in major cities like the capital, Sana'a.
During the workshop, several officials, including First Deputy Prime Minister Mohammed Miftah, Deputy Prime Minister Mohammed al-Madani, and Minister of Social Affairs Samir Baja'ala, noted that begging has transformed from a state of need into a profession practiced by some gangs, sometimes exploited for criminal purposes.
They called for controlling the phenomenon by economically empowering beggars and transforming them into productive, self-sufficient individuals. They also called for implementing plans to resettle them in their areas of origin rather than continuing to reside in cities.
The workshop reviewed the National Program for Combating Begging's plan, which includes supporting beggars returning to rural areas with development projects and providing health, social, and psychological care, in cooperation with local authorities and the private sector.
The workshop also discussed ways to organize and expand the program's interventions to include all governorates and activate joint efforts between government and community agencies to address the phenomenon comprehensively.
The workshop concluded with a set of recommendations that focused on the need to conduct regular field studies, expand interventions to include rural areas, and provide sustainable funding through an independent budget and a special fund. It also included community awareness-raising, reviewing laws related to begging, and developing educational curricula to incorporate the concepts of citizenship and self-reliance.
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