The Ambassadors to Yemen from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and the United Kingdom, and the US Chargé d’Affaires have expressed concern about the grave humanitarian situation in Yemen, noting this is closely linked to the continued military escalation and the Houthi militias’ rejection of the ceasefire.
The diplomats, in a joint statement after a meeting they held on Tuesday, underlined that efforts to address economic stability are fundamental to reducing humanitarian need.
The Quad welcomed the appointment of the Governor and Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Yemen, and additional members for the Board of Directors as well as the tasking of the Central Organization for Control and Audit (COCA) to review and evaluate the performance of the Central Bank since it was moved to the temporary capital Aden.
“Given the importance of economy to the situation in Yemen, the Quad agreed that strong leadership of Yemen’s Central Bank and financial institutions was critical. In this regard, it was agreed that the appointment of these qualified individuals was a positive step forward. The Quad also welcomed the successful introduction of a new auction process for foreign exchange,” said the statement issued Thursday.
“The Quad underlined their willingness to continue working closely with Yemen’s Prime Minister, his Government, and the new Central Bank Governor and team, in support of measures to further stabilize Yemen’s economy.”
“This included a commitment to continue the provision of technical assistance, as well as to examine options to increase Yemen’s access to hard currency and facilitate trade.”
The statement added that the diplomats urged the Yemeni government to continue advancing its reform agenda, underlining the importance of transparency and accountability in the use of domestic revenues and the management of external finance.
The Quad welcomed the significant Saudi contribution to supporting Yemen’s economy, in particular through its fuel grant.
The statement noted recent efforts to reinvigorate the implementation of the Riyadh Agreement and highlighted the contributions of the Kingdom and the UAE to this agenda.
The Quad emphasized the need for all political actors to work together in support of Yemen’s legitimacy and the Prime Minister’s plan for recovery and reform.
The diplomats “expressed deep concern about the continued Houthi assault on Marib, and stressed the need for an immediate ceasefire, especially given the large numbers of Yemenis displaced as a result of the fighting.”
They also condemned Houthi cross-border attacks on Saudi Arabia, and their targeting of civilians and economic infrastructure.
Furthermore, they underlined their commitment to a comprehensive political solution for the conflict in Yemen and expressed full support for UN Special Envoy Hans Grundberg.
