Yemen’s president has traveled to Berlin to drum up financial and humanitarian support as his war-torn country faces an economic crisis.

Rashad Al-Alimi’s office told Arab News that he had arrived on Tuesday in an attempt to convince international donors, including Germany, to resume their assistance inside Yemen. He is expected to meet Chancellor Olaf Scholz and President Frank-Walter Steinmeier.

“After the United States and the European Commission, Germany is the third largest donor of humanitarian aid,” his office said.

“It also leads parallel dialogues on the Yemeni crisis on a regular basis. The leadership wishes to strengthen Germany’s role in dealing with the humanitarian crisis.”

The president’s office said he would also discuss Houthi violations of an internationally agreed truce, now in its sixth month, and the group’s crackdown on liberty and freedom in areas under its control.

“Germany has well-established development institutions that have suspended most of their activities in Yemen, but there is great hope for these institutions to resume their role,” the office said.

Al-Alimi presides over an eight-man council that has been in charge of Yemen since the former president, Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi, stepped down in April. 

The new leader has already visited Riyadh and Abu Dhabi, seeking economic help as Yemen suffers deteriorating public services, worsening power cuts and a currency crisis. 

Meanwhile, the Yemeni government on Tuesday welcomed the UN Security Council’s criticism of a deadly offensive by the Houthis in Taiz late last month, and changes to port rules by the group that have affected fuel supplies in areas under its control.

Abdul Baset Al-Qaedi, an undersecretary in Yemen’s Information Ministry, said the Houthis were intentionally obstructing fuel ships at the port of Hodeidah. 

“The Houthis created the latest fuel crisis to allow their traders to import fuel without prior permission from the government,” he said.

The UNSC noted in its update on Monday that the truce in Yemen had led to a 60 percent reduction in casualties.