e National Youth Conference in Marib, northeastern Yemen, has officially launched local youth forums, bringing together 88 young leaders representing eight provinces, seven of which are under the control of the Houthi group.

Participants included youth from the provinces of Marib, Sanaa, Mahweet, Al-Jawf, Saada, Dhamar, Hajjah, and Amran. Supported by the National Democratic Institute (NDI) and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), the initiative aims to empower youth, enhance their role in political and social processes, and advocate for their inclusion in decision-making at all levels.

This event builds on similar meetings held previously in cities like Taiz, Aden, and Mukalla and marks the second phase of preparations for the National General Youth Conference.

The conference will focus on discussing public issues and youth-related concerns, including political participation, economic empowerment, job creation, education, capacity building, and developing coordination mechanisms to implement conference outcomes and nurture the skills of talented youth.