A military coalition led by Saudi Arabia said on Monday it would commit $1.5 billion in new humanitarian aid for Yemen where it is supporting the internationally recognized government against Iran-aligned Houthis in a three-year-old civil war. “We are backing a professionally planned and detailed humanitarian mission with military power and precision to guarantee that the humanitarian aid reaches the people who need it to lift their suffering,” said spokesman Colonel Turki al-Maliki. The new aid program seeks to boost monthly imports to 1.4 million metric tons from 1.1 million last year, the statement said. Last week, Saudi Arabia deposited $2 billion in Yemen’s central bank after the Yemeni prime minister made a public plea for funds to prop up the currency and help stave off hunger. US President Donald Trump last month called for Saudi Arabia to immediately allow humanitarian aid to reach the Yemeni people, suggesting Washington had run out of patience with the blockade.

Source: Egypt Independent January 22, 2018 07:52 UTC