The Central Bank condemns the practices of the Houthis and confirms the continued operation of banks in the liberated governorates (statement)

In an official statement on Sunday, the Central Bank of Yemen condemned the Houthi arbitrary practices against the national banking sector, and reassured the public of dealers and depositors in bank branches in the liberated governorates that they would continue to conduct their business and serve their customers as usual.

In a statement published on its official website, the Central Bank condemned in the strongest terms the Houthi arbitrary practices against the national banking sector, especially commercial and Islamic banks and microfinance banks, whose main departments are still in the occupied capital, Sanaa, and whose branches operate in the liberated governorates.

The Central Bank, headquartered in the temporary capital, Aden, confirmed that the Houthi militias are using "all means of pressure, coercion, and blackmail to force them to close their branches and freeze their business, bypassing all banking laws and customs."

He said: “This irresponsible behavior is revealing evidence of the extent of the Houthi militia’s encroachment on this vital, important sector, and its insistence on tampering with it on the one hand, and on the other hand, it is an indication of the inability of the managements of those banks to resist Houthi pressures and to exercise their banking duties in accordance with local and international regulating laws.” “For banking work in a way that preserves the integrity of the banking sector and the rights and funds of citizens.”

He warned the managements of the violating banks against violating his directives by moving their headquarters to the temporary capital, Aden, in accordance with his directives, stressing that violation of these financial institutions’ directives “may expose those banks and their management to strict legal measures by the Central Bank of Yemen.”

The Central Bank warned the criminal militias against continuing their absurd practices against national banks, and forcing them to engage in practices that conflict with banking practices and the prevailing laws and customs regulating banking work to achieve empty displays and false heroics.

In this regard, the bank called on the Houthi militia to stop those practices and violations that harmed the Yemeni citizen, deprived him of his savings and investments, complicated his means of livelihood, and almost cut off his communication with the world with its terrorist practices and blatant violations of laws and morals.

The bank also called on the management of banks and their branches to adhere to banking controls, not to yield to pressure from militias, and to follow their instructions to avoid being subject to punitive measures.

The Central Bank reassured the public of dealers and depositors in the branches of these banks in the liberated governorates that it will continue to carry out its business, serve its customers, and fulfill its obligations as usual.