Yemen: SDRPY Develops Various Projects in Aden

General view of Aden, Yemen (File Photo: Reuters)
General view of Aden, Yemen (File Photo: Reuters)
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Yemen: SDRPY Develops Various Projects in Aden

General view of Aden, Yemen (File Photo: Reuters)
General view of Aden, Yemen (File Photo: Reuters)

The Saudi Development and Reconstruction Program for Yemen (SDRPY) brings hope to the residents of the temporary capital, Aden, and addresses all their urgent needs, announced Undersecretary of Aden Mohammed Nasr al-Shazly.

He said the Saudi program has already started a number of projects including the development of Aden International Airport, and reconstruction and equipping of Aden General Hospital.

He indicated that the people of Aden depend on the program and are confident that Saudi officials are exerting all efforts to improve the situation in the city.

The Undersecretary stated that SDRPY’s recent visit to Aden brought hope to the people, and the program’s delegation addressed all urgent needs and vital projects.

He pointed out that Aden’s situation is difficult and in need of urgent and rapid interventions by the government, the coalition, and donors, especially in the field of water sanitation, roads, electricity, and hygiene, in addition to addressing the health situation.

Iranian-backed Houthi militia deliberately destroyed in its war on Aden in 2015 the services sector, and the city is still suffering the consequences of that war, added the Undersecretary.

Shazly spoke of optimism among Aden residents to achieve political stability and normalization of services, especially after the signing of the Riyadh agreement between the legitimate government and the Southern Transitional Council.

Aden is in urgent need of large investment projects that provide jobs and support the economy, and this in itself is the most important victory the city can achieve after the Riyadh agreement, according to Shazly.

Earlier in January, the Saudi Program launched the first phase of developing and reconstructing Aden International Airport including the issues of safety, passenger transfer, and firefighting.

The Program also immediately approved a project to dig five new wells as well as rehabilitate and operate 10 other wells ready at a rate of 45 thousand cubic meters per day. The wells will be operated through solar energy to preserve the environment, benefiting about 1.5 million people from the population of Aden.

During the recent visit to Aden, the Saudi Program discussed ways to cooperate with Masila Petroleum Exploration and Production Company (PetroMasila), the largest oil company in Yemen, to establish new power stations in all liberated provinces during the coming period.



Abbas Denounces Israeli Gaza Offensive at UN, Insists: 'We Will Not Leave'

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas addresses the 79th United Nations General Assembly at United Nations headquarters in New York, US, September 26, 2024.   REUTERS/Brendan McDermid
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas addresses the 79th United Nations General Assembly at United Nations headquarters in New York, US, September 26, 2024. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid
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Abbas Denounces Israeli Gaza Offensive at UN, Insists: 'We Will Not Leave'

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas addresses the 79th United Nations General Assembly at United Nations headquarters in New York, US, September 26, 2024.   REUTERS/Brendan McDermid
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas addresses the 79th United Nations General Assembly at United Nations headquarters in New York, US, September 26, 2024. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid

The head of the Palestinian Authority denounced Israel and its offensive in the Gaza Strip in front of world leaders Thursday, appealing to other nations to stop what he called a “genocidal war” against a place and people he said had been totally destroyed.
Mahmoud Abbas used the rostrum of the UN General Assembly as he typically does — to criticize Israel. But this was the first time he did so since the Oct. 7, 2023, attacks by Hamas on Israel that triggered an Israeli military operation that has devastated the Gaza Strip.
Abbas strode to the podium to loud applause and a few unintelligible shouts. His first words were a sentence repeated three times: “We will not leave. We will not leave. We will not leave.”
He accused Israel of destroying Gaza and making it unlivable. And he said that his government should govern post-war Gaza as part of an independent Palestinian state, a vision that Israel’s hardline government rejects.
“Palestine is our homeland. It is the land of our fathers and our grandfathers. It will remain ours. And if anyone were to leave, it would be the occupying usurpers," The Associated Press quoted him as saying.
A nationwide series of campus protests against Israel's operations in Gaza swept the United States in the spring and largely originated at Columbia University, about 70 blocks north of the United Nations.
“The American people are marching in the streets in these demonstrations. We are appreciative of them," Abbas said.
Israel’s campaign in Gaza has killed more than 41,500 Palestinians and wounded more than 96,000 others, according to the latest figures released Thursday by the Health Ministry.

Abbas spent big chunks of his speech at the United Nations talking about the state of life in Gaza, and he painted a bleak picture.
"Entire family names have been written out of the civil record," he said. "Gaza is no longer fit for life. Most homes have been destroyed. The same applies for most buildings. ... Roads. Churches. Mosques. Water plants. Electric plants. Sanitation plants. Anyone who has gone to Gaza and known it before would not recognize it anymore.”
Among his demands, none of which are new: A full Israeli withdrawal from the Gaza Strip — not “buffer zones.” Allowing Gaza's displaced Palestinians — an estimated 90% of the population — to return to their homes. And a central role for Abbas' government in any future Gaza.
“Stop this crime. Stop it now. Stop killing children and women. Stop the genocide. Stop sending weapons to Israel. This madness cannot continue. The entire world is responsible for what is happening to our people in Gaza and the West Bank.”