Helen Lackner studied social anthropology and social development. She has worked in Yemen for over 15 years from 1973, living for five years in the People's Democratic Republic of Yemen (PDRY) and the rest in the Yemen Arab Republic and the Republic of Yemen. As a rural development worker she has experience in over 30 countries. Currently she is refocusing her activities on analysis and writing with the objective of ensuring that younger generations benefit from her long experience in the development field and her intimate knowledge of many aspects of Yemeni society, politics, and development. She has edited two books on Yemen and authored a book on the PDRY and another one on Saudi Arabia.