Yemen Receives 2nd $250 Mln Tranche of Saudi Grant

A view of the Central Bank of Yemen in Aden, Yemen (File Photo: Reuters)
A view of the Central Bank of Yemen in Aden, Yemen (File Photo: Reuters)
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Yemen Receives 2nd $250 Mln Tranche of Saudi Grant

A view of the Central Bank of Yemen in Aden, Yemen (File Photo: Reuters)
A view of the Central Bank of Yemen in Aden, Yemen (File Photo: Reuters)

Yemen received a second $250 million installment from a Saudi grant on Sunday to support salary payments.

Under the directives of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud, and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud, the Yemeni government has received $250 million as the second installment of the grant, the Saudi Press Agency reported.

It said the support provided by the Kingdom demonstrates its dedication to promoting security, stability, and prosperity for the people of Yemen.

The support aims to bolster the Yemeni government’s budget, enhance the purchasing power of its citizens, and contribute to economic recovery in Yemen.

In August 2023, Yemen requested economic assistance from Saudi Arabia to address its budget deficit and ensure food security. In response, Saudi Arabia announced its support, amounting to $1.2 billion. “This aid will be utilized to support salaries, wages, operational expenses, and overall economic stability in Yemen,” SPA said.

The Kingdom has provided a total of approximately $11.2 billion in direct economic and developmental support from 2012 to 2023. The budget deficit support has had significant economic impacts, such as enhancing the living conditions of Yemeni citizens, bolstering the capacity of the Yemeni government, implementing economic reform programs, and empowering the Central Bank of Yemen through the activation of monetary policy tools.



Members of UK Jewish Group Say Can't 'Turn Blind Eye' to Gaza War

Children gather near a destroyed makeshift shelter following an Israeli strike in Beit Lahia - AFP
Children gather near a destroyed makeshift shelter following an Israeli strike in Beit Lahia - AFP
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Members of UK Jewish Group Say Can't 'Turn Blind Eye' to Gaza War

Children gather near a destroyed makeshift shelter following an Israeli strike in Beit Lahia - AFP
Children gather near a destroyed makeshift shelter following an Israeli strike in Beit Lahia - AFP

Members of the largest organization representing British Jews have said they can no longer "turn a blind eye" to the war in Gaza, adding "Israel's soul is being ripped out".

In a major break with the Board of Deputies of British Jews' policy of supporting the Israeli leadership, 36 of its members criticized the actions of Benjamin Netanyahu's government in Gaza in an open letter published in the Financial Times.

"The inclination to avert our eyes is strong, as what is happening is unbearable, but our Jewish values compel us to stand up and to speak out," said the letter, signed by around one in eight members of the Board of Deputies, AFP reported.

"We cannot turn a blind eye or remain silent" about the loss of life since a two-month truce collapsed on March 18, as negotiations over the return of Israeli hostages broke down, the letter added.

Of the 251 hostages seized during Hamas's October 7, 2023 attack on Israel, which triggered the war, 58 are still held in Gaza, including 34 the Israeli military says are dead.

"Israel's soul is being ripped out and we, members of the Board of Deputies of British Jews, fear for the future of the Israel we love and have such close ties to," added the letter.

The signatories accused the "most extremist of Israeli governments" of "openly encouraging violence against Palestinians in the West Bank."

"We stand against the war. We acknowledge and mourn the loss of Palestinian life," they added.

A spokesperson for the Board of Deputies told the Guardian that other members would "no doubt put more emphasis on the fundamental responsibility of Hamas for this ghastly situation."

At least 1,691 Palestinians have been killed since the resumption of the Israeli offensive, bringing the death toll in Gaza since the start of the war to 51,065, according to Gaza's Hamas-controlled health ministry.