Why Yemen’s doctors and teachers work without pay

Around 1.2 million government employees, including teachers and doctors, show up to work every day in Yemen with unpaid or partially paid salaries, committed to their fellow Yemenis. UN Coordinator David Gressly emphasizes that if their contributions are lost, the state will collapse.

In his 40 years of experience working as a humanitarian worker, he’s seen that war can often cause destruction of infrastructure and more importantly, a loss of the public sector. Therefore, preserving Yemen’s civil service is a pressing issue that has both short—and long-term consequences, and should be immediately addressed.