UAE spends $5.59 billion on assistance to Yemen.

Staff Reporter

The UAE is committed to the legitimacy-supporting coalition for ensuring the stability of this brotherly country, maintaining the integrity of its institutions and supporting the peace stream under the auspices of the UN, a UAE official source said, underscoring the UAE commitment to fighting terrorism and ensuring the security of Saudi Arabia against Houthi aggressions.

The source told Al Khaleej, whose sister publication is Gulf Today, that the redeployment plan of the UAE forces in Hodeidah operating under the Arab coalition does not mean there will be a military vacancy if we take into consideration the efficiency of the Yemeni legitimate forces. The source noted that redeployment is taking place for strategic reasons in Hodeidah and tactical reasons in other areas and is also aimed at enhancing peace opportunities.

The source pointed out that the decision is not new but was part of strategic plans aimed at improving the efficiency of the Yemeni legitimate forces.

Stressing that the Arab coalition is solid and successful, the source said without the coalition, the Houthis would have captured the entire Yemen currently.

“The Houthi militia has not achieved any field progress for two years now and we, thanks to the efforts of the coalition’s forces and the Yemeni legitimate forces , could stop the deployment of the Houthi militias”, the source said.

The UAE assistance to Yemen since 2015 benefited more than 17 million. WAM

“The coalition respects the will of the international community and is committed to the principles of the humanitarian law and that is why we have agreed to and blessed the Stockholm agreement on Hodeidah. As long as there is a political agreement that we support, it is logical to redeploy our forces away from Hodeidah although the legitimate forces were about to capture the city’s seaport”, the source added.

To enhance the military achievements, the UAE rushed to provide humanitarian aid to the brothers in Yemen and also played a pivotal role in protecting the regional security, particularly in the western coast, the source said.

As far as navigation in the Red Sea is concerned, the UAE source said the UAE is committed to protecting navigation in the Red Sea and Strait of Bab El Mandeb because this is a crucial issue for international navigation.

Meanwhile, the source stressed that the UAE trained tens of thousands of army recruits and security forces of the legitimate government. These forces proved to be efficient and capable of fulfilling missions, the source added, noting that these forces were credited for eliminating terrorist groups and eradicating the terrorist emirate in Mukalla.

“Part of the Arab coalition, the UAE is fighting Al Qaeda offshoots within the global war on terrorism. We were also able to stop funding sources of terrorist organisations, particularly from oil smuggling and other illegal activities via seaports”, the source said.

The source affirmed that Yemen is the most formidable challenge to stop the Iranian expansion in the region in the light of the support that the Houthi militias receive from Tehran since their coup against the Yemeni legitimate government.

Meanwhile, WAM reported that the UAE provided $5.59 billion in foreign assistance to Yemen between April 2015 and June 2019, which was used to help rebuild various sectors in the country, including vital infrastructure and to restore health and social services.

In data obtained by the Emirates News Agency from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, a breakdown of the aid shows that 66 per cent of the amount went towards development ventures and 34 per cent to humanitarian relief.

The breakdown includes 15 per cent towards commodity aid, nine per cent for energy generation and supply, 53 per cent for general programme assistance, 11 per cent towards health services, four per cent to government and civil society, and three percent for social services.

The data also revealed that much of the assistance was channeled through international organisations such as the WFP, the Unicef, the WHO, the UNHCR and the ICRC.

The donations reached 22 Yemeni governorates, including Al Hodeidah, Taiz, Aden and Hadramaut, and assisted 17.2 million Yemenis, 11.2 million children and 3.3 million women.

The funds also helped 11.4 million Yemenis find access to healthcare, 16.3 million people receive food, and 1.8 million boys and girls get an education. The money also saw the rehabilitation of three airports and three seaports in Aden, Al Mukalla and Socotra.