Yemen Monitor / Newsroom:
The Yemen Banks Association in the temporary capital, Aden, has expressed its deep concern over the systematic technical challenges facing the banking sector. These challenges stem from restrictions imposed by the “Yemen Net” network—controlled by the Houthi group in Sana’a—on mobile banking applications.
In a statement released today, the Association reported receiving widespread complaints from customers experiencing increasing technical difficulties accessing their bank accounts and completing financial transactions. It warned that these actions threaten the stability of the country’s vital financial system.
The Association highlighted the danger of the Houthis continuing to weaponize telecommunications and internet services to negatively impact the economic environment and the livelihoods of citizens. It emphasized that these technical barriers strike at the heart of daily financial operations, most notably remittances from expatriates, which serve as a lifeline for millions of Yemeni families. The statement stressed that deliberately restricting these services undermines public trust in the banking sector and disrupts financial flow during these complex times.
The Association called on relevant authorities to pressure the de facto authorities in Sana’a to immediately cease any actions that obstruct banking operations and to ensure that technical services remain neutral and free from political use.
Furthermore, it urged for the neutralization of essential services from conflicts to avoid potential escalatory steps that the banking sector might be forced to take. The statement noted that the internet’s essential role as a pillar of the national economy requires an end to unilateral control, which only leads to further financial isolation and comprehensive economic harm.
These warnings follow numerous reports from citizens regarding sudden malfunctions in mobile banking apps and their inability to manage their business affairs, prior to the Association’s disclosure of the new restrictions implemented via the Yemen Net company.
