The Governorate of Raymah was established in 2004. It is located in the western part of the Republic of Yemen between Dhamar and Al-Hodeidah and is 200 kilometers from the capital Sana’a. The governorate is divided into six administrative districts and the city of Al-Jabeen is the governorate’s capital.

Raymah governorate information

Districts of Raymah: Bilad At Ta'am, As Salafiyah, Al Jabin, Mazhar, Kusmah, Al Jafariyah.

Map of Raymah


Economy

Agriculture and livestock rearing are the dominant economic activities in the governorate. Farmers in Raymah grow vegetables, fruits, and coffee. In addition, the population works in livestock rearing and beekeeping.1https://www.yemenna.com/index.php?go=guide&op=show&link=raima. The governorate is home to many historic sites and natural attractions.

According to the local authority’s 2014 budget, Raymah derived 97% of its general revenue from central grants and subsidies. Local revenues accounted for the remaining 3%. The most significant sources of local revenue are local shared revenues, most notably zakat, income from the sale of goods and services, fines and penalties, and taxes.2Republic of Yemen, Ministry of Finance, Budget Sector: estimated local authority budget for the 2014 fiscal year. These revenues have been adversely affected by the war. Moreover, the establishment of the General Zakat Authority and the transfer of zakat to a central revenue has caused the governorate to lose an important source of income.

According to the 2014 Household Budget Survey, the poverty rate in Raymah was 50%. With the economic decline caused by the war, this rate has likely increased substantially during the past few years.


Local governance

Raymah’s local council comprises 18 members and the governor. Currently, there are two vacant seats due to the death of two councilors. Since the beginning of the war, the local council has no longer performed its regular role, which has been taken over by the governor and the executive offices. As in other governorates under control of the de-facto authorities, the governorate supervisor has also taken on a growing role. The executive bureaus in Raymah are struggling with the absence of revenues for operational expenses. Some of the revenue offices are operating, but other service offices have largely stopped working.3Interview with a member of the governorate local council of Raymah. March 2019.

 


Access to basic services

With regard to the humanitarian situation, there are nearly 400,000 people in need of assistance in Raymah, or approximately 70% of the population. Thirty-four percent of those in need are in dire need.4OCHA, Humanitarian Response Plan for Yemen 2018.

Health services have deteriorated markedly in the governorate. The three public hospitals are working at minimum capacity and rely wholly on support from international donors. The Indian hospital has completely stopped working since the breakout of the war. According to the WHO, many patients have been forced to travel from Raymah to Al-Hodeidah to seek medical treatment. However, the escalating violence in Al-Hodeidah in 2018 hindered access to healthcare services in Al-Hodeidah and many had no choice but to seek treatment in Al-Thulaya hospital in Raymah.5WHO website, Yemen on Twitter, 24 March 2019, https://twitter.com/WHOYemen. Data: 29 March 2019; interview with the former governor of Raymah. March 2019.

With regard to education, there are no indications that schools have been directly affected by the war in Raymah.6OCHA, An Overview of the Humanitarian Needs in Yemen 2018. However, Raymah is one of the governorates where teacher salaries are not being paid.7Economic and Social Development In Yemen Newsletter – Issue No. 30, December 2017, published by the Economic Studies and Forecast Sector in the Ministry of Planning and International Cooperation. This has disrupted education in the governorate.

As for drinking water, 48% of households in Raymah had access to potable water in 2016/2017.8OCHA, An Overview of the Humanitarian Needs in Yemen 2018. A water project in the governorate was disrupted due to the war. Investment in sanitation has been completely halted and available sewage facilities are no longer operational.9Interview with the former governor of Raymah. March 2019.


Demographics

District Size (km2) Population (Female) Population (Male) Population (Total)
 Bilad At Ta’am 412 22,312 22,506 44,818
 As Salafiyah 377 51,099 52,272 103,371
 Al-Jabeen 490 60,031 57,822 117,853
 Mazhar 527 54,241 52,977 107,217
 Kusmah 355 50,168 50,219 100,387
 Al-Ja’afariyah 281 47,150 45,204 92,354
 TOTAL 2,442 285,000 281,000 566,000

Figures are 2017 Yemen Central Statistical Organization projections based on the 2004 census.


Resources relevant to Raymah

Law 4/2000 Concerning the Local Authority

Law 4/2000 Concerning the Local Authority

The full text of the Local Authorities Law 4/2000 in English and Arabic.

Supporting Local Governance in Yemen: Steps to Improving Relationships between Citizens and Government, Manual for Local Councilors, Civil Society Organizations and Citizens

Supporting Local Governance in Yemen: Steps to Improving Relationships between Citizens and Government, Manual for Local Councilors, Civil Society Organizations and Citizens

This manual was designed for local councilors and civil society organisations in Yemen. It introduces the role of local councils within the local governance set-up of Yemen and introduces tools that councilors and civil society actors can use to monitor expenditure and improve relations with citizens. It introduces a six-step process for assessing public expenditure […]

Yemen’s Draft Constitution of 2015

Yemen’s Draft Constitution of 2015

This is an unofficial translation of Yemen’s draft constitution that was finalized on 15 January 2015 by the Constitutional Drafting Committee. This unofficial translation was carried out by the United Nations and reviewed by International IDEA (www.idea.int). The draft includes 446 articles along 10 chapters, prepared by the Constitution Drafting Committee. The committee which was […]

Improving Relations between Central State Institutions and Local Authorities

Improving Relations between Central State Institutions and Local Authorities

White Paper on the relationship between local authorities and central governments in Sana’a and Aden respectively, including a set of recommendations.

Changing local governance in Yemen: District and governorate institutions in the areas under Ansar Allah’s control

Changing local governance in Yemen: District and governorate institutions in the areas under Ansar Allah’s control

Report on the ways local governance is changing in the areas under Ansar Allah’s control. Focuses on Ansar Allah’s takeover of local institutions, renewed efforts to collect taxes and other revenue, increased centralisation, and a collapse of local budgets and salaries. War, the economic blockade of Yemen, Ansar Allah’s policies, and international aid have combined […]