Aden receives a high-level British delegation to support development and government reforms

A delegation of senior international development cooperation officials, headed by Charles Harper of the United Kingdom, visited Aden from 9 to 12 November.

The delegation included representatives from the United Kingdom, the European Union, the World Bank, and United Nations agencies, who expressed their happiness to meet the Yemeni government and their support for the aspirations of the Yemeni people.

A statement issued by the delegation said the visit included meetings with senior government officials and members of civil society, including the Prime Minister, the Governor of Aden, the Ministers of Planning and International Cooperation, Finance, and the Governor of the Central Bank of Yemen. The delegation also met with representatives of the National Women's Committee, the Central Bureau of Statistics, and a number of local businessmen.

During their visit, the delegation reviewed the major development projects in Aden and reviewed the ongoing activities of development programmes. They expressed their pleasure to learn about the progress made in the government’s five-point reform programme.

The delegation stressed the need to ensure the safety of humanitarian workers throughout Yemen, and condemned the detention of humanitarian and diplomatic staff in areas under Houthi control.

In a statement, the UK's Director of Development, Charles Harper, said: "We were pleased to visit Aden and hold a series of fruitful meetings with the Yemeni government. The international community is working hard to provide development assistance to the Yemeni people in their time of need, and we look forward to a next visit soon."

At the end of the visit, the heads of cooperation renewed their continued support for the Yemeni government and its efforts to improve the lives of citizens. They pointed out that this visit comes within a series of planned visits to support ongoing international development assistance to Yemen.