On Tuesday, September 24, 2024, Rashad Alimi, the President of Yemen’s Presidential Leadership Council, reiterated his request to the World Bank to direct its financial support through the Central Bank in Aden, the city designated as Yemen's temporary capital.

During a meeting in New York with Anna Bjerde, the World Bank’s Executive Director for Operations, Alimi emphasized the Yemeni government's appeal for assistance in accessing funding for green economy initiatives and climate change projects, according to Yemen's official news agency Saba.

The meeting focused on areas of bilateral cooperation and ways to strengthen the existing partnership between the government and the World Bank in economic and developmental aspects, institutional capacity building, and advancing comprehensive reforms.

Additionally, discussions highlighted the necessary international support to mitigate the humanitarian impact of the financial crisis exacerbated by Houthi attacks on oil facilities and international shipping routes, with the group classified as a terrorist organization.

Alimi praised the World Bank's developmental interventions in Yemen, particularly its funding of vital projects in health, education, agriculture, fisheries, food security, and social protection. He also commended the Bank’s efforts in building institutional capacity and supporting the Central Bank of Yemen, as well as fostering economic growth and resilience in the private sector.

He noted the long-standing partnership between the two sides, mentioning the recent opening of a World Bank representative office in Aden, and reaffirmed the Yemeni government's commitment to facilitating the work of international organizations across the country.

Furthermore, Alimi received updates from Bjerde on the current portfolio of projects being implemented by the World Bank to aid recovery, achieve financial and economic stability, and support the peace process, in addition to the Bank’s developmental intervention strategies for the upcoming phase.

Since September 21, 2024, Alimi, along with council members Aidarus Al-Zubaidi and Othman Majli, has been in New York to participate in the high-level Future Summit organized by the United Nations, coinciding with the UN General Assembly sessions that commenced on Tuesday.

Yemen continues to face severe humanitarian and economic challenges due to the ongoing conflict, which began following the Houthi takeover of the capital, Sana’a, and their forceful control over state institutions.