Yemen and USA agree million-dollar aid plan

Yemen and US Agency for International Development (USAID) signed here on Sunday an agreement of $180 million to support the development of the areas affected by the war against terrorism in Abyan province.

Under the agreement signed in the Ministry of Planning and International Cooperation, part of the amount allocates for the national dialogue in Yemen.

Earlier, U.S. ambassador in Sana'a Gerald Feierstein said that the U.S. granted $350 million in the Friends of Yemen meeting to help Yemen in the transitional stage.

The U.S. focuses on supporting Yemen in three areas; to eradication of extremism from Yemen, the implementation of the Gulf initiative and service provision, he said.

Feierstein said that a portion of the amount was allotted to support the affected southern areas and sustain the political process and reforms agreed upon in the Gulf initiative in addition to education, health and capacity building sectors.