Yemen recovery and reconstruction plan unveiled by Saudi Arabia

The Saudi-led coalition has announced the launch of a Yemen Comprehensive Humanitarian Operation (YCHO) which aims to enhance the delivery of aid and commercial supplies, including critical fuel, medical supplies and food to the violence-battered country on the southern tip of the Arabian Peninsula that has been caught in a civil war with international ramifications since 2015.

The Coalition will substantially contribute to the 2018 United Nations Yemen Humanitarian Response Plan.

Countries within the Saudi-led Coalition are among the highest contributors of humanitarian and developmental aid to Yemen, a largely poor and tribal country of 28 million people who have been hit hard by the conflict, and the plan reiterates their commitment to bringing needed food, medicine, humanitarian assistance, and fuel supplies to the people of Yemen, said a Saudi Arabia government release.

Under the YCHO, the Saudi-led Coalition will contribute $1.5 billion in new donations to international organisations to ensure the success of the 2018 UN Yemen Humanitarian Response Plan. It constitutes:

Port Expansion: The Coalition will lead the expansion of additional Yemeni ports to ensure the effective flow of imports. This will include the installation of four additional cranes purchased by the Coalition in Mokha, in Aden, and in Mukalla as well as repairs and infrastructure projects in these ports.

Economic Recovery: Saudi Arabia directly deposited $2 billion in the Yemeni Central Bank to promote economic stabilization and improve the Yemeni people's quality of life.

This is in addition to a $1 billion deposit that Saudi Arabia contributed in 2014.

Air Bridge: An air bridge from coalition countries to Ma'rib will enable up to six flights of C130s per day. The air bridge will then be available for use by humanitarian organisations to deliver critical humanitarian needs.

Hodeidah Cranes: The Coalition has allowed the instalment of the cranes in the port of Hodeidah.

Safe Passage Corridors: The Saudi-led Coalition is setting up 17 safe passage corridors originating from six points to ensure safe overland transportation of aid to NGOs operating in the interior of Yemen. The opening of Al Khadra and Al Tuwal border crossings between Saudi Arabia and Yemen will further allow the unabated flow of goods to key areas such as Sa'ada, Sana'a, Hajjah, and Amran, it said.

Sanaa Airport: Sanaa Airport will remain open for humanitarian flights.

The coalition will also contribute $30-40 million for expanding the long-term capacities of Yemeni ports to accommodate additional humanitarian shipments. It will also provide $20-30 million to facilitate land transportation of goods and improve road infrastructure. The Saudi-led Coalition's efforts to open land, sea, and air lanes to Yemen will result in 1.4 million metric tons of imports, including of fuel and food, into Yemen each month, up from 1.1 million metric tons in 2017.

--IANS

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