The Yemeni government calls for urgent support to face economic challenges.

Arab Sea Newspaper - Follow-ups

Arabian Sea - Yemen - Follow-ups: The Yemeni government called on sisterly and friendly countries, international organizations, and funds to support its efforts in these exceptional circumstances to face economic and service challenges and achieve financial and institutional stability, stressing that the current stage requires strengthening this support urgently to enable it to consolidate gains and ensure the sustainability of recovery. In a statement to the Security Council at the open session on the situation in the Middle East (Yemen), delivered by Yemen's Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Ambassador Abdullah Al-Saadi, the Yemeni government affirmed that support constitutes a fundamental pillar for overcoming the accumulated crises exacerbated by the Houthi terrorist attacks on oil export ports and the complete cessation of exports, which led to a loss of about 70 percent of the state's public resources. It highly valued the positions of the brothers in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates alongside the Yemeni people and its government, and their continuous interventions in the developmental and humanitarian aspects, which strengthened the factors of resilience and fulfillment of the government's inevitable obligations. In its statement, the government said, "Yemen today stands on the threshold of a difficult stage after eleven years of war waged by the Houthi terrorist militias against the state and its constitutional institutions, destroying the hopes and aspirations of a people yearning for security, stability, dignity, justice, equal citizenship, and building a civil state befitting its ancient history and its position in the region." The statement added, "Despite the efforts made by the Presidential Leadership Council and the Yemeni government to advance the peace process, and the positive engagement with regional and international efforts and the efforts of the United Nations through its Special Envoy to Yemen to end the conflict, the Houthi militias continue to obstruct all these efforts, undermine any opportunities for peace, prolong the conflict and the cycle of violence, and plunge Yemen into an unprecedented economic and humanitarian crisis, and destabilize security and stability in Yemen and the region." The statement noted that the Yemeni government addressed the esteemed Security Council last month regarding the blatant interference of the Iranian regime in Yemeni affairs, and its flagrant and repeated violations of the United Nations Charter, international law, and relevant Security Council resolutions, including systematic violations of the measures of the sanctions regime imposed under Security Council resolutions 2140 (2014) and 2216 (2015), and the continued smuggling of Iranian weapons to the Houthi militias and the provision of military, financial, and technical support to them. The statement indicated that the recent period witnessed the seizure of many shipments of weapons, devices, equipment, and drones in Yemeni territorial waters and ports, heading to the Houthi militias, which confirms the continuation of financing and arming these terrorist militias, posing a serious threat to security in Yemen and regional and international security, and clearly indicates the extent of direct Iranian interference in Yemeni affairs, and that the Iranian regime is going to further invest in the Houthi militias within its expansionist project, and to implement its agenda aimed at destabilizing regional and international security and stability, prolonging the conflict in Yemen, obstructing opportunities to reach a comprehensive political settlement, exacerbating the suffering of the Yemeni people, and turning Yemeni lands and territorial waters into a platform for threatening international navigation and undermining regional and international peace and security. The Yemeni government reiterated its call on the international community and this esteemed Council to assume their responsibilities, ensure the implementation of its resolutions related to Yemeni affairs, foremost of which are Resolutions 2216 (2015) and 2140 (2014), and take effective measures to deter the Iranian regime's blatant interference in Yemeni affairs and stop the smuggling of weapons to the Houthi militias. The statement affirmed that the Yemeni government is moving forward, with the support of the Presidential Leadership Council, in the path of economic, financial, administrative, and institutional reforms despite the complexities of the current situation and the hostile approach of the Houthi militias in using the economy as a war card to deepen the humanitarian catastrophe for the Yemeni people, and continues to work on implementing a number of urgent priorities in the economic and service aspects, foremost of which are maintaining the stability of the national currency, improving local revenues, addressing imbalances in vital sectors, protecting the most vulnerable groups, and taking a series of monetary and financial measures in implementation of the decisions of the Presidential Leadership Council and in light of the positive changes in the exchange rate of the national currency, which represents a direct result of the integration of financial and monetary policies pursued by the government during the past period and ensuring that the improvement in the exchange rate of the national currency is reflected in the prices of basic goods and services and the living conditions of citizens. The statement pointed out that the Houthi terrorist militias, last month, announced counterfeit banknotes and coins, and imposed their circulation in the areas under their control, in a step that destroyed what remained of opportunities to end the financial division, and undermined the agreement reached by the Special Envoy to Yemen on July 23, 2024, under regional and international auspices, aimed at sparing the financial and banking sector further collapse, which the Yemeni government and the Central Bank of Yemen committed to implementing all its provisions, and in return, these militias ignored the provisions of this agreement, especially with regard to canceling unilateral economic measures and reducing escalation. It affirmed that this step comes in the context of the Houthi militias' continued efforts to plunder citizens' savings and finance their suspicious networks with huge sums without legal or monetary cover, and it is not just a passing behavior, but a deliberate targeting of what remains of livelihood opportunities, and a systematic destruction of the country's economy and its food and national security. The statement explained that this war has pushed millions of Yemenis to live below the poverty line, food insecurity, and displaced more than four and a half million to internal displacement camps, where they live in extremely harsh conditions, in addition to the challenges related to climate change, which have cast a shadow on sources of livelihood. The impact of these overlapping crises is exacerbated in light of the sharp decline in funding for humanitarian operations and the increasing needs that are rising. The government said, "While we appreciate the efforts made to alleviate the humanitarian suffering in Yemen, we appeal to the international community and the United Nations to strengthen the support provided for the humanitarian response in Yemen, and to bridge the existing funding gap. In this context, we look forward to the convening of the International Conference on Food Security in Yemen, under the auspices of the General Secretariat of the Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf, next October, which represents a very important milestone for strengthening cooperation with regional and international partners and developing a practical roadmap to face the challenges of food security in Yemen." The statement renewed the commitment of the Presidential Leadership Council and the Yemeni government to the approach of peace, and support for all regional and international efforts and the efforts of the Special Envoy of the Secretary-General to Yemen aimed at achieving a comprehensive, just, and sustainable peace based on the agreed-upon references for the political solution, foremost of which is Security Council Resolution No. 2216 (2015), and keenness to develop a constructive strategic partnership with the regional and international community to ensure the achievement of security, stability, and peace in Yemen, and to confront threats and terrorist acts in international maritime navigation lanes and global trade. Source: Saba Net