Barran Press
According to a concise statement released by the US Embassy in Yemen via its official account on the "X" platform, monitored by "Barran Press," Ambassador Stephen Fagen made a phone call to Yemeni Prime Minister Dr. Ahmed bin Mubarak on Wednesday, May 29, 2024.
The statement mentioned that the US ambassador expressed his support for the prime minister's efforts to advance "serious and challenging reforms" that would help the Yemeni government provide better services to its citizens.
The Yemeni government is facing severe economic challenges due to the collapse of the local currency, dwindling resources, and public services. These issues have led to citizens taking to the streets in protest against deteriorating living conditions and rising prices of goods.
In September 2022, the Yemeni government approved a reform program as a condition for receiving Saudi and Emirati support amounting to $3.3 billion, deposited as financial collateral at the central bank to maintain the stability of the national currency, which has been declining for years.
On Tuesday, May 28, Prime Minister bin Mubarak spoke about the "direct catastrophic effects" caused by Houthi attacks on crude oil facilities during the main dialogue session at the Arab Media Forum held in Dubai. He explained that these attacks "deprived the government of more than 70% of its resources" and led to a weakening of the provision of many services to citizens, exacerbating the humanitarian suffering and limiting our ability to provide essential services such as electricity and medical treatments.