In the wake of nearly a decade of protracted conflict in Yemen, I found myself returning – mentally and emotionally – to a question that continues to haunt the development and humanitarian fields: can localised governance and community-driven strategies truly build resilience in fragile, urban environments?

This blog was written by Mamoon Al-Absi, a former SSHAP Fellow, which IDS is a partner of, where Mamoon considers the uncomfortable intersection between international frameworks and local realities and asks: can localised governance and community-driven strategies truly build resilience in fragile, urban environments?
This article was originally published on the Social Science in Humanitarian Action Platform (SSHAP), which IDS is a partner of.