Who is Afrah al-Zouba, Yemen’s first female foreign minister?

Afrah al-Zouba’s appointment as Yemen’s foreign minister on Thursday is attracting attention – she’s the first woman to be appointed to that role, or any of the country’s most prominent cabinet posts.But al-Zouba’s rise has been decades in the making, shaped by a career spanning development, diplomacy, and some of the most consequential political negotiations in Yemen’s recent history.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemslist 1 of 3UN envoy for Yemen ‘alarmed’ by Houthis’ Red Sea attacks, calls for talkslist 2 of 3Yemen’s valleys and farms are full of dangerous plastic wastelist 3 of 3As oil soars, experts watch Red Sea tankers for clarity on Houthi blockadeend of listAl-Zouba spent more than 25 years working primarily in development and peacebuilding, then transitioned into government work, most recently appointed in February as minister for planning and international cooperation. Prior to that, she was the head of the body responsible for absorbing foreign aid to Yemen.She first came to national prominence in the Arab country after the 2011 revolution. She served as the first deputy secretary-general of the National Dialogue Conference, the transitional body tasked with overseeing ...