Governor of the Central Bank of Yemen and IMF Governor for the Republic of Yemen, Ahmed Ghaleb, together with Minister of Finance Marwan Bin Ghanem and Minister of Planning and International Cooperation Dr. Afrah Al-Zouba, held a joint meeting with Esther Pérez, Head of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) Mission to Yemen, to discuss the IMF Executive Board’s decision to resume Article IV Consultations with the Republic of Yemen after a suspension that lasted several years.

The meeting, held on the sidelines of the April 2026 World Bank Group and IMF Spring Meetings in Washington, D.C., reviewed the next steps following the Board’s decision, including the technical and institutional preparations required for Yemen to enter into a Staff-Monitored Program (SMP).

The proposed programme aims to address existing fiscal and monetary policy imbalances as part of a comprehensive package of economic reforms that would pave the way for access to IMF financing instruments and support Yemen’s economic recovery while improving living conditions and public service delivery.

The meeting also examined the impact of ongoing developments in the Middle East on regional and global economies, including Yemen. Discussions focused on rising insurance and shipping costs, increasing energy and commodity prices, and the resulting pressure on public finances, which has further complicated the government’s ability to meet citizens’ essential humanitarian needs, including access to food, medicine, and basic public services.

Participants also discussed the measures and policy actions the Government of Yemen intends to implement to mitigate these impacts through an integrated approach that balances the need for macroeconomic stability with the imperative of responding to urgent humanitarian needs.