Sweden announces halt to development aid to areas controlled by Houthi militias in Yemen

Sweden announced, on Monday, the suspension of development aid it provides to Yemen, due to what it described as the destructive actions of the Houthis in the north of the country.

Swedish Minister of International Development Cooperation and Foreign Trade Benjamin Dosa said in a statement to a Swedish website that his country's government had taken a decision in its meeting last Thursday to stop development aid to Yemen.

He explained that the decision came against the backdrop of the increasing destructive actions carried out by the Houthis in the northern parts of the country, including the kidnapping of UN employees and the attacks that took place in the Red Sea are another example.

He added that Sweden supports the people of Yemen with humanitarian aid worth 287 million Swedish kronor, and that humanitarian aid is used for food, shelter, medicine, clothing, and the like.

Previously, the government also had a development aid budget in Yemen of SEK 80 million, Dosa said. The development aid is used for more long-term initiatives such as schools and construction of various types.

They are now in the right place, and their budget is in this.

Skattepengar ska gå dit de gör som störst skillnad och där vi kan säkerställa att de når människor i nöd och inte hamnar i orätta händer. https://t.co/uax2uuhROF

— Benjamin Dousa (@BenjaminDousa) November 25, 2024

He continued: “It is not possible to go in and make sure that the aid is really being used as it should be. The Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida) has been tasked with ending development aid in the northern parts of the country by early next year.

The Swedish minister indicated that efforts in the southern parts of the country are scheduled to be completed by mid-2025.

"I don't want the money to end up in the Houthis' pockets. That's why we are now putting powder on humanitarian aid in Yemen. We want to make sure that Swedish tax money goes to the right things," he added.

In response to a question about the fate of the development aid budget for Yemen, the Swedish minister said, "The aid will not be completely withdrawn until the middle of next year. This is not the money that disappears from the aid framework."

“We can direct it to aid in other countries or perhaps more humanitarian aid to Yemen,” Dosa said.

This comes at a time when the United Nations estimates that more than 20 million people in Yemen need urgent humanitarian assistance.