Yemen reached an agreement with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) on a $560 million loan on August 8. The funds will be paid over a period of three years. The government expects the first payment within two months.
NEW ANALYSIS | POLITICAL PROCESS | INTERNATIONAL ENGAGEMENT | SECURITY | ECONOMIC & HUMANITARIAN ISSUES
Increased oil prices spark public unrest
Mareike Transfeld writes in Muftah that given the deteriorating economic situation in Yemen, the government has no choice but to immediately address the dire living conditions of the country’s twenty-four million people. Without an improvement in the economic situation, social and political stability in Yemen will remain unattainable. [Muftah, 8/9/2014]
The Islamic state that wasn’t
Peter Salisbury writes in Foreign Policy that Yemen’s al-Qaeda branch is not moving to create its own Islamic state quite yet, but the fact that it continues to thrive is ominous. As al-Qaeda announced its plans for building its own “emirate” in Yemen’s east, the continuing weakness of Yemen’s post-revolutionary state is offering it plenty of opportunities to do so. [Foreign Policy, 8/8/2014]
Saudi Arabia losing influence in Yemen
Farea al-Muslimi writes in Al Monitor that Saudi Arabia once enjoyed unrivaled influence in Yemen, but the transition and breakdown of the state have allowed other foreign powers, particularly Qatar and Iran, to gain influence in Yemeni affairs. As Saudi Arabia’s political monopoly in Yemen comes to an end, al-Muslimi says that the influence of new players such as Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and Iran will continue to grow. [Al Monitor, 8/4/2014]
Hadi chairs National Dialogue implementation commission
The national commission in charge of monitoring the implementation of the National Dialogue held its first meeting on Monday, which was chaired by President Abd Rabbu Mansour Hadi. Abd al-Karim al-Iryani and Nadia Al-Sakkaf were both chosen to be the committee’s deputy chairs. [Al Masdar (Arabic), 8/11/2014]
UN and G-10 members meet in Sana’a to discuss national reconciliation
A United Nations committee of experts held a meeting in Sana’a on August 4. The meeting addressed the timeframe for implementing the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) initiative and the political transition process. This is the second meeting of its kind. The committee’s first visit to Yemen was in June 2014. [Saba, Al Masdar (Arabic), 8/4/2014]
US pledges $30 million to Yemen
The United States is to contribute $30 million to Yemen’s Social Welfare Fund. In a press release, the US State Department stated that this assistance underscores the United States’ commitment to a comprehensive partnership with Yemen. In related news, the US State Department issued a Fact Sheet on Yemen on August 4, detailing its economic and political contribution to the country’s transition. [US State Department, 8/4/2014]
Three percent rise in donor pledges to Yemen
The Executive Bureau for Accelerating Absorption of Donors’ Pledges revealed in its lastest report that donor pledges rose by three percent to reach $8.2 billion from September 2013 to May 2014. The report included a progress assessment addressing the implementation of reform policies as part of the Mutual Accountability Framework (MAF) between the Yemeni government and donors. [Saba, 8/5/2014]
Saba news agency hacked
Yemen’s official state news agency’s website (SABA) was hacked, and its pages featured a military-type masked man and a statement that read: “Enough with news that is disconnected from reality. Fed up with misleading news and propaganda! Stop manipulating people’s mind!” It remains unclear what group carried out the attack. [Yemen Post, 8/10/2014]
US airstrike kills three al-Qaeda suspects in Yemen
Yemeni security officials said that a US drone strike on a house in central Yemen killed three suspected al-Qaeda militants. The officials said the aircraft struck a house in Marib, where al-Qaeda has a strong presence. [Associated Press, 8/9/2014]
Al-Qaeda expands operations in South, kills fourteen soldiers in Hadramawt
Al-Qaeda expanded its operations in southern Yemen, attacking security and other governmental installations in Lahj. Meanwhile, a website affiliated with the Yemeni al-Qaeda branch confirmed earlier reports that militants had killed fourteen soldiers near Shibam in Hadramawt. The website published pictures of the militants checking the soldier’s IDs after ordering them out of a bus in Sayoun. [Reuters, Yemen Post, 8/9/2014]
Yemen resumes pumping oil through main export pipeline in Marib
Yemen resumed pumping crude oil through its main export pipeline after repairs were completed on August 8, more than a week after armed men blew it up, halting flows and disrupting an important source of revenue. In related news, a ministerial committee charged with studying the future of the Yemeni oil sector held its first meeting on August 8. [Reuters, Saba (Arabic), 8/8/2014]
Saudi border guard stops smuggling attempt along the border with Yemen
The Saudi border guard stopped three smuggling attempts along the Yemeni border recently and confiscated more than 185 kilograms of hashish. One smuggler was caught and is currently being interrogated by the authorities. [Al Masdar (Arabic), 8/6/2014]
Al-Qaeda ambush kills five Yemeni soldiers
Five soldiers were killed in an ambush in Shabwah in the third attack of its kind this month. Security officials blamed the attack on al-Qaeda. The militants opened fire on an army vehicle, killing five soldiers and wounding another, before escaping. [The Daily Star, 8/6/2014]
ECONOMIC AND HUMANITARIAN ISSUES
International Monetary Fund allocates $560 loan to Yemen
Yemen reached an agreement with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) on a $560 million loan on August 8. The funds will be paid over a period of three years. The government expects the first payment within two months. [Reuters, Sahafa (Arabic), 8/8/2014]
Fishermen protest over fuel subsidy cuts in Hadramawt
Fishermen in Hadramawt continue to protest against the government’s decision to cut fuel subsidies in a strike that began on August 4. Fishermen need approximately 1,200 liters of either gas or diesel each week. Since fish prices in Yemen are subsidized by the ministry of fisheries, fishermen contend that they are unable to afford the increased costs of fuel and gas. [Yemen Times, 8/7/2014]
World Bank issues MENA Quarterly Economic Brief
The new quarterly report by the World Bank, titled “Predictions, Perceptions and Economic Reality” finds that the situation in the Middle East and North Africa has gotten worse after the 2011 uprisings. Despite recent signs of economic recovery in Yemen, growth continues to be weak and cannot generate enough jobs. [World Bank, 8/7/2014]