Yemen’s international help peaks at $8 billion

WFP responds to urgent needs in Yemen Yemen has gained new financial support during the Friends of Yemen conference , which was held in New York on Thursday.  Yemen will receive an additional $1.5 billion: half of it will be donated by Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Kuwait will give $50 million each. This means international help for the two-year transitional period has now reached nearly $8 billion.
This deal was concluded at the Friends of Yemen conference, a project initiated during the Gulf initiative to help the democratisation process in Yemen.
The conference was attended by Yemeni President Abd Rabo Mansour Hadi and representatives of 39 countries and donor organisations.
The Kuwaiti Foreign Minister announced that his country\'s contribution will support Yemen for the next three years. This donation will be given as grants and loans to fund development projects.
Yemeni governmental sources announced that Qatar’s aid would be used for humanitarian projects in Yemen. Italy will provide additional aids - besides the pledged amount agreed on in Ryhiad - worth $45 million. This sum will be allocated to support UNICEF programmes.
The Dutch government has promised to give $100 million, France will give $80 million, and Australia will donate $5 million to support food security projects.
Denmark has promised to allocate $10 million annually to back the mutual accountability between Yemen and the donors’ community.
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) allocated 120 million dollars to support political and economic stability, while the United Arab Emirates promised $150 million.
A national dialogue will be held in November to decide of the future of the country with the whole population.
The Yemeni Official News Agency said: “It was agreed between all members of friends of Yemen on the necessity of the Yemenis to lead the dialogue process by them without external interference. Moreover, the United Nations should take the responsibility to provide technical, logistical and financial expertise to support the conference and to encourage all Yemeni parties to actively take part in the national dialogue conference.”
The statement also urged the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to keep providing the necessary support for the stability of Yemeni economy, including the expanded support programme.
As for the deteriorating humanitarian situation in Yemen, the statement appealed the international community to quickly provide additional funds to implement a food aid plan in Yemen.
According to the statement, Friends of Yemen agreed that the United Nations shall prepare and announce Humanitarian Response Plan for 2013 to achieve the humanitarian needs in Yemen, and to develop of the existing coordination with the Yemeni government that aims at the delivery of humanitarian assistance and means of coordinating efforts in the humanitarian field.
The statement also welcomed the idea of Yemen joining the World Trade Organisation.
A fifth Friends of Yemen in March to review the progress made.
The financial aids promised by donors in Riyadh and New York do not achieve the aspirations of the Yemeni government, which announced earlier its need for $11 billion to confront the many challenges they will be facing in the next two years.
The initiative, which was suggested by the Gulf states, and sponsored by the embassies of major countries and under the auspices of the United Nations, states the handover of power by Saleh and elected his deputy Abd Rabo Mansour Hadi on February 21. This is part of a transitional two-year consensus during which a comprehensive national dialogue will produce a new constitution and political system for the country. The general elections will be held on February 21 in 2014.