Saudi Arabia Announces Fake Projects to cover Criticism Campaign

YemenExtra

M.A.

After more than four years of a Saudi-led war against Yemen with the coalition countries, Saudi Arabia has been trying to improve its position in the country by announcing the implementation of some fake projects.

These project never see the light. The war, led by Riyadh and Abu Dhabi, has caused a major humanitarian crisis, which it has afflicted the Yemeni people. The war is still ongoing, while many voices in Yemen and in the world call for stopping it.

Midi, which is located in Hajjah province, near the border with Saudi Arabia in western Yemen, has seen extensive destruction like other areas and cities that witnessed direct confrontations and intense shelling, but Midi can exceed these other areas in the deadly targeting and destruction which has made it a ghost town.

Saudi officials have announced that Saudi Arabia is launching hundreds of projects in exchange for the announcement of the implementation of a project or two, but only in accordance with its objectives and interests.

The announcement of these projects coincides with the continuation of a campaign launched by activists under the Hashtag #Where_is_the_Money to demand organizations – which say they receive funding from Saudi Arabia to implement projects in Yemen – to be transparent. Community control over the performance of organizations operating in Yemen is important, in light of the increasing incidence of poverty and disease.

A study by the United Nations Development Program showed that that economic losses have reached $88.8 billion this year because of the conflict, and will continue to rise as long as the war continues. The UNDP Resident Representative in Yemen, Oak Lutsma, said: “Even if peace is to come tomorrow, Yemen may need decades to return to pre-conflict levels of growth.”