Donors conference could help Yemen

Ibrahim Al-Assaf receives Yemeni Prime Minister Mohammed Basindawa on arrival in Riyadh Yemeni Prime Minister, Mohammed Salem Basendwah, will be heading a senior Yemeni delegation during the Donors Conference in the Saudi capital, Riyadh on Tuesday. Many agreements to support the Yemeni economy are looking to be signed and it is scheduled for KSA to deposit around a billion dollars in the Central Bank of Yemen to help support the currency as well as to contribute in the establishment of a wind power plant.
However, an economic report by a Yemeni Centre for Research warned of the expansion of poverty due to the growing percentage of unemployment, demanding the Gulf States to cancel the sponsorship system for the Yemeni labour.
Before leaving Sanaa, the Yemeni PM stated he was very optimistic that the Donors Conference shall succeed in gathering the necessary financial resources to help Yemen achieve the requirements of the transitional phase. Basendwah added that his government shall present a “Transitional Programme for Development and Stability 2012-2014” to Yemen's development partners. Moreover, his government shall brief them on the difficult humanitarian situation caused by past events. The Yemeni PM also stated in a statement to Yemeni Official News Agency that his government will approve several measures to ensure transparency and accountability in regards to the grants and assistance provided by the brothers and friends of Yemeni.
Basendwah praised the Saudi role in preparing this conference as well as the initiative of King Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz to support Yemen financially. He called the Donors Conference "an important station to interpret the aspirations of the international community towards the security, stability and unity of Yemen and the necessary support to achieve this.”
The Yemeni government announced earlier its need for $ 11 billion to fill the gap financing in the Yemeni economy, the amount locally available is $3 billion and expects that the donors shall fill the rest in order to help stabilise its economy and improve living conditions.