| Date: | September 19, 2025 |
| Program Name: | Supporting Peace in Yemen through Accountability, Reconciliation, and Knowledge-Sharing (SPARK) |
| Initiative Name: | CRCC Reconciliation Initiatives |
1. Overview of the SPARK Program
In April 2025, the SPARK team, composed of DT Institute and its local partners, the Abductees’ Mothers Association (AMA) and SAM for Rights and Liberties (“SAM”), formed the Community and Reconciliation Consensus Committee (CRCC). The CRCC includes 10 prominent social figures in Taiz, who aim to foster reconciliation, document key issues threatening peace community coexistence, and to empower communities to resolve such disputes through community-led resolution processes. CRCC members were selected according to strict criteria taking into account their local influence, the communities represented, and their reputation for trustworthiness, legitimacy, commitment to TJ and to human rights.
The CRCC’s scope of work was designed in response to the findings of The Path Towards Peace, a research study published by SPARK in April 2025. This study captured local understandings of transitional justice (TJ) across Yemen, revealing that 64.3 percent of community members prioritize reconciliation and war-ending efforts. Participants identified clear roles for civil society: initiating dialogue and reconciliation, offering legal and financial aid to victims, raising TJ awareness, and documenting violations.
Furthermore, the CRCC’s efforts complement those of the SPARK partners under the restorative justice (RJ) pilot initiatives. Also designed in response to the findings from The Path Towards Peace, these initiatives aim to foster reconciliation and resolve community-level public disputes that have caused human rights violations.
2. Early Successes of the Community Consensus and Reconciliation Commission
Upon the launch of documentation efforts in April, the CRCC immediately hit the ground running. Thus far, the CRCC has documented over 60 significant community disputes involving serious community tensions threatening peaceful coexistence and fostering unrest. Of these, 31either been resolved by the CRCC and other civil society organizations or are currently undergoing reconciliation efforts. either been resolved by the CRCC and other civil society organizations or are currently undergoing reconciliation efforts.
Each of the disputes addressed by the CRCC reflects broader patterns impacting transitional justice, including community disputes over limited resources (primarily water) and tensions related to internally displaced persons (IDPs).
3. Initiatives Spotlight: Community Dispute Over Water Resources and Use of a Well
This initiative addressed significant challenges arising from the ongoing water shortage in Taiz. As Yemen’s third most populous region, Taiz Governorate is home to approximately 3.5 million people[1] – over 600,000 of which have no access to safe or reliable water. In addition, over 50,000 IDPs and 71 percent of the population currently depend on unsafe water sources and costly water trucking.[2]
According to the global water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) Cluster (led by UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies), “The current conditions constitute a critical public health and protection emergency requiring immediate intervention.”[3] US-funded WASH programs are unable to address this gap, leaving approximately 1.3 million people affected by the suspension of their work.
Thus far, over the past five months, the CRCC has succeeded in resolving five out of eight key disputes over water resources, vital to the living conditions of residents and IDPs alike. Through strategic reconciliation tactics, leveraging their local influences and extensive networks, the CRCC addressed each of these disputes uniquely, depending on the case and the parties at hand.
One dispute involved the conversion of the use of a well from agricultural and personal use by the owners to commercial use, which led to the well’s closure depriving the surrounding community from water. The Committee quickly intervened by facilitating direct negotiations between the parties and offering creative, sustainable compromises (including temporarily selling water to the city, renewing rents, and compensating the owners of the property).
The parties attended several dialogue sessions in which they shared their perspectives and discussed the origins of the dispute. This space was effective in allowing the parties to express their grievances, cleansing themselves from the strong feelings of frustration and bitterness that catalyzed the dispute.
3. Agreement and Impact
In considering the CRCC’s thoughtful proposals and following their guidance, the parties agreed to sell water to the city to alleviate the current crisis. After the crisis was resolved, they agreed to return the well to original use, renewing rents according to the previous agreements with the owner and compensating the rights holders’ accordingly. The result: water flow was restored to the satisfaction of both the community and business owners, who both benefited from the solution.
💬 “When we see community unity embodied before us – neighborhood leaders, elders, local authorities, the community, displaced persons, and people with disabilities all talking about water, seeking to resolve conflicts, and proposing solutions and [working through] challenges… we truly feel that the conflicts that have divided us can bring us together again. Water and the Community and Reconciliation Consensus Committee are not just resources and tools; they are a bridge to restore life to our community and unite it.” – Kamal Al-Sharabi, Dialogue session facilitator and member of the CRCC
4. Similar Successful Initiatives
Utilizing similar methods, the CRCC was able to resolve four other disputes – the Alqama Water Project, the Murada Water Project, the Al-Khabal dispute, and disputes over springs in Sabir Al Mawadim. Each of these cases involved significant disagreements, which either had or were threatening to devolve into greater public unrest. In the Al-Khabal dispute, for example, the water project’s strategic location (between Al-Shamaytain, Al-Waziyah, and Mudaraba) necessitated a quick and clean resolution. The dispute had festered, pushing already existing partisan and political tensions between multiple communities to the brink.
The CRCC was able to prevent complete suspension of the water project, which was threatened before their intervention. The CRCC enlisted the help of the local authority and the General Authority for Rural Water Supply Projects (GARWSP) to handle this serious dispute. In coordination with these entities, the Committee organized and held free and fair elections, enabling the communities to each partake in the resolution of the dispute and the management of the water project. As a result of the CRCC’s efforts, the project is now officially owned by the state as a public utility and is being used as such.
In each case, the Committee stepped in to prevent suspension and inability to use water resources, similar to in the Al-Khabal dispute described above. In handling the Alqama and Murada disputes, the CRCC facilitated quick and efficient restoration and cohesive continuation of the water services to prevent broader community disputes appearing on the horizon.
In noting their impact, the CRCC emphasizes that in many of these cases “if the two parties had transferred the [case to the] competent authorities,… the well would remain closed and the people of the area would [continue to] be deprived [from] water…and if it were not for the invention of the members of the [CRCC], the dispute would have continued.” From this, it is clear that the CRCC’s efficient and individually tailored approach enables the most beneficial resolution in many severe cases such as these, where time is of the essence and community livelihoods are on the line.
5. Learning, Documentation, and Replication
Unfortunately, the water shortages throughout Taiz remain a pervasive issue for community members all throughout the governorate. In particular, the CRCC has noted the districts of Muzaffar, Ma’afer, and Maqbanah, where internal displacement, a lack of basic services, and high unemployment rates are exacerbating existing conflicts surrounding water.
In focusing on Maqbanah and addressing the issues throughout the district, the Committee is currently undertaking efforts related to three prominent disputes. Two of these disputes revolve around disagreements over water rationing and management of a water project. The third revolves around the spread of cholera, which has been exacerbated due to the shortage and pollution of clean water throughout Maqbanah. In addressing this dispute, the CRCC is coordinating with non-governmental organizations and local authorities to encourage donor agencies and charities to support local health centers and provide clean water. An isolation room has already been established as well.
In reviewing the current state of Taiz, the CRCC has a clear view of their role and responsibilities and a steadfast commitment to them.
💬 “Community reconciliation is the bridge to overcome water crises. I welcome and [am] will[ing to] continue to communicate with the [CRCC] to engage it in resolving any disputes that may arise in Sala district, having proven its ability to resolve numerous conflicts across Taiz city.” – Sheikh Samir Abdo Mohammed, Sheikh of Sala District
5. Scaling the Impact
The city of Taiz is fraught across all sectors – from the security landscape to health and basic services. Lawlessness and arbitrary application of law plague the security landscape as widespread diseases and medical shortages impact health and living conditions. Accompanying this discontent are social issues – also arising due to the broader conflict – which increase community tensions and discontent. Among these are the increase of IDPs, lack of basic services, and high unemployment rates, which contribute to social decohesion, pitting residents against IDPs in a battle for basic survival.
💬 “Disputes around water are not limited to Taiz; they are a nationwide issue, as Yemen is among the most fragile countries in terms of water security. While this is primarily a development challenge, the conflict has deepened infrastructure collapse and resource scarcity, intensifying tensions in a society where weapons are widespread. In such a context, disputes over water and other scarce resources can quickly escalate into violence and undermine stability. Community mediation is therefore crucial in managing these disputes and bridging the gap left by weak governance.” – Sahar Mohammed, Senior Program Assistant, DT Institute
Taiz cannot wait for national reconciliation. As Chairperson of AMA, Amat Al-Salam Al-Hajj emphasized, “the war will spoil our communities…restorative justice and reparations, among other [transitional justice mechanisms] are very important mechanisms to rebuild the community.” The call to action is loud and clear. Community healing and rebuilding must start now to address pervasive, historical disputes and curb ongoing unrest, laying the groundwork for sustainable peace.
Moreover, local-level restorative justice and reconciliation is crucial in empowering communities, enhancing community ownership, and pushing for national reconciliation. As Dr. Adel Deshela, transitional justice researcher pointed out in SPARK’s Restorative Justice: Building Bridges of Understanding for Recovery symposium,[4] “Mediation within restorative justice [sets] an ethical criteria in the message that those community institutions were able to put an end to conflicts at the local level, when the country itself and its institutions are unable to solve their conflicts and restore the lives of people.”
In Yemen, local restorative justice (RJ) can act as both a healing tool and a cornerstone for national reconciliation. This is especially vital in a decentralized context where state institutions are weak, and tribal authority shapes social order in rural areas. Unlike historic reconciliation processes driven by political parties — often derailed by narrow interests — local RJ is rooted in social cohesion and community trust. Strengthening and institutionalizing these grassroots practices can create a bridge between local and national reconciliation, ensuring that peace is built from the bottom up. By embedding local mechanisms into national frameworks, Yemen can reduce instability and close the space for political actors to exploit social tensions and fuel further conflict.
💬 “Investing in local initiatives is critical for national progress. Empowering community-based restorative justice ensures that peace and reconciliation grow organically from the ground up, while parallel efforts at the national or subnational level help coordinate, institutionalize, and scale these local gains for a more resilient and inclusive path to stability.” – Feras Hamdouni, Senior Program Manager, DT Institute
Further emphasizing the importance of the CRCC’s efforts, the Office of Social Affairs and Labor and For All Foundation for Development organized an event honoring the Committee on August 19, World Humanitarian Day.[5] The event was further implemented by the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women) with the support from the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center. The honor was bestowed upon the CRCC in recognition of their achievements in documenting and resolving significant community disputes – a tangible mark of their achievements over these past five short months since their launch.
Already the call for continuation and expansion of activities is being heard from local communities, experts, and government institutions alike – allowing for a universally accepted entry point to future national transitional justice and sustainable peace that must be pursued.
[1] https://unhabitat.org/taiz-city-profile; https://humanitarianaction.info/plan/1262
[2] https://www.washcluster.net/node/33211
[3] https://www.washcluster.net/sites/gwc.com/files/YWC_Taiz_Advocacy_Note_August_2025.pdf
[4] https://ama-ye.org/under-the-slogan-building-bridges-of-understanding-for-recovery-rights-symposium-highlights-the-success-of-a-restorative-justice-initiative-in-as-shamayatayn-district/
