Yemen is ranked the fastest growing country in population MERCY ON OUR ECONOMY! [Archives:1999/42/Front Page]

SANAA:Last week witnessed the birth of the 6th billion baby in Sarajevo. As the world is becoming smaller and smaller to accommodate the number of inhabitants, we at Yemen, are still suffering from an extremely high rate of population growth. According to a report by Reuters, and the statements of the Yemeni government, Yemen is the fastest in population growth.It is not something we should be proud of, as this is devastating our economy and bringing the country to the verge of a disaster if nothing is done about it. 
Planning and Development Minister, Ahmed Mohammed Sofan stated that while the annual growth rate is about 3.7%, the latest statistics indicate that our country’s population is around 17.58 million, and is expected to double in twenty years. 
President Ali Abdullah Saleh, had many times expressed his concern over the dangers due to the high population rate in Yemen, which is caused mainly by illiteracy and unawareness. 
This growth will definitely continue, putting a heavy strain on the economy of the republic, which is already under heavy strain contributed by several factors including the decrease of oil prices in the last months. 
The main solution for this population growth can be found through a joint effort between the media, education, and internal ministries in trying to spread awareness about the dangers of over population for our children and for the next generation, which will be devastated by economic hardships if the current economic conditions continue. 
On the other hand, we should also focus on the importance of the official media in this campaign. The government can certainly do something about this if it has the true and honest intention. It is high time to implement family planning measures. It is time to act now!
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