Yemen Monitor – Newsroom:
The U.S., UK, and France on Thursday condemned the Houthi group’s issuance of new currency in areas under their control, calling the move “illegal” and a breach of the country’s legitimate monetary authority.
In a joint statement published on X (formerly Twitter), the three countries’ embassies to Yemen said:
“We strongly condemn the Houthis’ illegal issuance of new banknotes and coins,” referring to the printing of a new 200-riyal banknote and the earlier release of a 50-riyal coin.
The statement emphasized that: “The Central Bank of Yemen in Aden is the only internationally recognized monetary authority, and its decisions alone are considered legitimate by the international community.”
It also called on the central bank branch in Sana’a to immediately comply with directives from the main administration in Aden.
The Houthi group had announced on Tuesday the issuance of a new 200-riyal banknote and the start of its circulation in markets—a move that sparked wide controversy in economic circles amid warnings of worsening financial and monetary divisions in the country.
Financial institutions and observers fear that the continued printing of currency in Sana’a, independent of the Central Bank in Aden, will deepen the banking divide and further erode confidence in the national currency, which is already facing total collapse in government-controlled areas.
