Yemen's central bank calls UN report accusing govt of siphoning Saudi money 'misleading'

Yemen's central bank has hit back at the United Nation after the global body accused the country's government of siphoning Saudi money for essential goods to traders. A United Nations report, released this week, has alleged that the Yemeni government diverted over $400 million, meant for food and other essential items, to traders, of which nearly half the amount went to a single holding corporation. Yemen's central bank on Thursday dismissed the allegation, calling the report "misleading". 

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Yemen's central bank said that the report is based on misleading information propagated by the country's enemies. The bank further vowed to provide evidence to prove that the money was indeed used for buying essential items for Yemenis. It said that it will provide the evidence at a later stage. The report claims 48% of the $423 million went to the Hayel Saeed Anam Group, a multi-billion dollar conglomerate active in the Middle East, Africa, and Southeast Asia.

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Yemeni govt yet to respond  

The internationally-recognized Yemeni government is yet to respond to the claim made by a panel of experts working for the United Nations. Saudi Arabia, which supports the Yemeni government in the ongoing war in the country, had donated the money for essential items such as food. The war-torn country is struggling to feed its population, where people, including children, are dying of malnutrition. The UN report accused the Yemeni government of engaging in "corrupt practices" that adversely affect the supply of food in the country. 

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The war in Yemen began in 2014 after Iran-backed Houthi rebels captured the country's capital Sana'a and most of the northern parts, including key seaports, which massively hampered imports. Saudi Arabia, an adversary of Iran, entered the war in 2015 and started airstrikes against the Houthis in an attempt to defeat the rebels and restore the government of President Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi. 

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(Image Credit: AP)