Yemeni Minister: $28 Billion Needed for Short-Term Reconstruction Plans

Yemeni Minister of Planning and International Cooperation Najib al-Auj
Yemeni Minister of Planning and International Cooperation Najib al-Auj
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Yemeni Minister: $28 Billion Needed for Short-Term Reconstruction Plans

Yemeni Minister of Planning and International Cooperation Najib al-Auj
Yemeni Minister of Planning and International Cooperation Najib al-Auj

Yemen's Minister of Planning and International Cooperation, Najib al-Auj, said that the war-torn country needs a baseline $28-billion-dollar fund for reconstruction efforts over the next four years.

In the long term, Yemen’s reconstruction could run a bill as large as $60 billion for post-war restoration of institutions, stability and security.

Revamping the country’s ailing health, education and power sectors and rehabilitating city infrastructure figure high on the government’s agenda, Auj told Asharq Al-Awsat, saying the state will work to fix the general budget deficit.

Yemen’s government, for the first time in four years, had announced the budget and had it ratified by the Yemeni parliament.

“The challenge is to implement the 2019 budget. Many projects have been faltering. And state institutions are affected by the war and need to be rebuilt,” Auj noted, explaining that tremendous efforts need to be poured to get the country’s security sector back on its feet and have reconstruction processes rebooted.

The minister also pointed out that government reconstruction data indicates that the country needs an estimated $28 billion in the short term and around $60 billion over the long term.

“So far there are no field surveys or precise studies that can give a certain figure-- but as a starting point, signs show a need for a minimum of $28 billion in the short term—which runs from two and four years. After that, Yemen will need a full-fledged reconstruction which could cost as much as $60 billion in the long term.”

As for restoring the war-torn country’s international ties, Auj said that he had met with representatives from 24 international bodies and states, among which were the EU, New Zealand and Canada.

“Today, there are more than 80 European organizations that have opened offices in the interim capital, Aden. Earlier talk with the EU for reopening its bureaus in Aden are ongoing. They are studying this request and they promised to deliver our messages to decision makers,” Auj revealed.

Giving details about his meeting with Western officials, Auj confirmed relaying the importance of supporting projects related to farmers and fishermen, which represent the largest segment of the Yemeni population.

Aiding Yemen’s agricultural and farming sectors will help create jobs and give public-private sector relations a badly needed boost.



Yemen’s Defense Minister to Asharq Al-Awsat: Military Will Respond Firmly to Any Houthi Escalation

Yemeni Defense Minister Lt. Gen. Mohsen Mohammed al-Daeri (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Yemeni Defense Minister Lt. Gen. Mohsen Mohammed al-Daeri (Asharq Al-Awsat)
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Yemen’s Defense Minister to Asharq Al-Awsat: Military Will Respond Firmly to Any Houthi Escalation

Yemeni Defense Minister Lt. Gen. Mohsen Mohammed al-Daeri (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Yemeni Defense Minister Lt. Gen. Mohsen Mohammed al-Daeri (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Yemeni Defense Minister Lt. Gen. Mohsen Mohammed al-Daeri said the country’s armed forces and all military formations are at a high state of readiness to respond firmly to any attacks or provocations by the Iran-aligned Houthi militias.

In the first remarks from a senior Yemeni military official following US strikes, al-Daeri said the Houthis bear full responsibility for the recent escalation, the imposition of international sanctions, and the militarization of regional waters, which have worsened the humanitarian and economic situation for Yemenis.

Al-Daeri warned the Houthis that all military formations under the Presidential Leadership Council are operating in close coordination and stand united against any escalation by the group.

The warning comes after the US launched a large-scale military campaign on March 15 targeting Houthi sites and leaders in response to their continued attacks on commercial shipping and international navigation in the Red Sea.

“Our brave armed forces and all military units under the Presidential Leadership Council are at a high level of readiness to respond firmly to any attacks or reckless actions by the Houthi militia,” al-Daeri told Asharq Al-Awsat.

“There is strong coordination among all these forces through the Joint Operations Command, which includes representatives from each formation, ensuring a unified front against any escalation by the terrorist Houthi militias,” he added.

The minister also said the Iran-aligned Houthis have rejected all peace initiatives and opted for destructive escalation, harming Yemeni lives and threatening international security by targeting global shipping routes.

“Despite the Presidential Leadership Council and the government making concessions to ease the suffering of the Yemeni people and responding to peace efforts led by Saudi Arabia and the Coalition to Support Legitimacy, the Houthi militias have remained defiant,” he said.

“They have dismissed these initiatives and escalated their attacks, targeting livelihoods, oil infrastructure, and extending their terrorism to international waters, disrupting global trade and security,” added al-Daeri.