Coalition: Saudi Arabia has supported Yemen with more than $13 bln

Saudi Arabia has contributed more than $13 bln in support of Yemen since 2014, spokesman of the Arab Coalition supporting the legitimate government of Yemen Col. Turki al-Maliki said on Monday during a weekly press conference in Riyadh.

Al-Maliki confirmed that the coalition is working with the United Nations and international agencies to support the Yemenis, stressing that the coalition’s efforts continue against both al-Qaeda and the Houthi rebels.

He pointed out that the coalition continues to provide support for international efforts to resolve the situation in Yemen, while the Houthis continue to fire ballistic missiles and lay naval and landmines.

According to al-Maliki, the Houthi rebels have violated the Sweden deal more than 1,400 times, while also deploying tanks and military mechanisms near schools and residential neighborhoods.

Al-Maliki attributes the rise of terrorist organizations in Yemen to the Houthi coup and the absence of legitimate government.

The spokesman also said that the qualitative military operations continue in Hadhramaut and other areas of Yemen.

Pictures and videos of the Iranian-made weapons and drugs confiscated from the Houthi rebels were also shown during the press conference, as well as confiscated weapons that belonged to al-Qaeda.

Other videos and pictures show the coalition’s targeting of Houthi sites and machinery.

The coalition is actively seeking to eliminate and reduce the Houthi rebel’s capabilities, while the Houthis continue to use Yemeni civilians as human shields, al-Maliki said.

He also denied reports on the arrival of US weapons to the Houthis and al-Qaeda in Yemen.

Al-Maliki confirmed that the coalition monitored the locations of the Houthis before attacking them with Apache helicopters. He showed a video documenting the accuracy of targeting the sites without harming civilians.

The Houthi rebels have lost about 1,000 fighters during the past two weeks, he said.