A high-level Yemeni government delegation held a series of meetings in Washington with senior officials from the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund as part of ongoing efforts to deepen cooperation with global financial institutions and support economic recovery.

The talks focused on expanding development and technical support, as well as increasing financing for vital projects amid severe economic challenges caused by the war and continued Houthi attacks on infrastructure and key facilities.

Yemeni Minister of Planning and International Cooperation Waed Badhib, in a meeting with World Bank Vice President for the Middle East and North Africa Ousmane Dione, stressed the government’s commitment to strengthening its strategic partnership with the organization and expanding its development programs across the country.

He praised the Bank’s critical role in preventing the collapse of essential institutions and ensuring the continuity of basic services.

According to Yemeni state media, Badhib noted that the World Bank’s portfolio in Yemen, valued at more than $2 billion, represents “pure development interventions,” including support for infrastructure, institutional reforms, and capacity building.

He stressed the importance of aligning the new Country Partnership Framework with the government’s priorities and exploring flexible operational models that would enable direct implementation of projects in government-controlled areas.

The World Bank’s ongoing operational policy review could pave the way for more direct engagement with the government, added the minister.

He underscored that maintaining development assistance during conflict is as vital as humanitarian work and warned that any decline in this support would undermine prospects for economic recovery and worsen the humanitarian crisis.

In separate meetings, Central Bank Governor Ahmed Al-Mabaqi and Deputy Finance Minister Hani Wahhab met with Jihad Azour, Director of the Middle East and Central Asia Department at the IMF.

The talks focused on supporting comprehensive reforms being implemented by the government and the Central Bank to address economic challenges and stabilize the currency.