Saudi Arabia provides $250 million aid to Yemen government

Saudi Arabia announced on Sunday that it has disbursed $250 million in aid to the internationally recognized government of Yemen, which the Gulf kingdom supports in its conflict against the Houthi rebels.

This latest funding follows an initial installment of $250 million announced in August, as part of Riyadh's commitment to provide $1.2 billion to alleviate the government's budget deficit and pay civil servant salaries.

"The second installment aimed at reducing the Yemeni government's budget deficit has been transferred to the Central Bank of Yemen in Aden, amounting to $250 million," said Mohammed al-Jaber, the Saudi ambassador to Aden, on social media. The Yemeni government relocated to Aden, a port city on the southern coast of Yemen, after the Iran-backed Houthis seized the capital Sanaa in 2014.

In 2015, Saudi Arabia assembled an international coalition to oust the rebels. The ensuing war has resulted in hundreds of thousands of deaths, either in combat or due to conflict-induced shortages.

A ceasefire brokered by the UN in April 2022 led to a significant reduction in hostilities. Although the truce officially expired six months later, overall fighting has decreased. A surprise rapprochement agreement announced in March 2023 between Saudi Arabia and Iran raised hopes for a lasting ceasefire in Yemen, although no breakthroughs have been announced so far.

In recent months, the Houthis have launched attacks against ships off the coast of Yemen, claiming to support Palestinians in Gaza, where Israel is engaged in conflict with the Islamist Hamas movement.

US and British forces conducted a series of strikes last month to diminish the rebels' capacity to target vessels transiting through the Red Sea's main commercial route. 

Analysts have warned that escalating tensions in the region could derail efforts to negotiate peace in Yemen.