Aden, Yemen / 24 Shawwal 1440 (27 June 2019) – The Saudi Development and Reconstruction Program for Yemen (SDRPY) delivered 40 water tankers to the port city of Aden, Yemen for distribution to seven governorates: Aden, Taiz, Dali, Lahj, Shabwah, Hadramout and Abyan.

The 5,000-liter Mitsubishi tanker-trucks will alleviate current shortages of clean drinking water in in several districts and augment the benefits of tankers already delivered to other governorates.

Water tanks provided by SDRPY will be distributed to several directorates in the seven governorates, including Mukha, Turba, Ataq, Shabwah, Seiyun, Mukallah, Jaar Zanjabour, Toor Al Baha and Al Houtah.

The ceremony in the Aden Free Zone was attended by Yemeni Deputy Prime Minister Dr. Salem Al Khanbashi, Yemeni Minister of Electricity and Energy Eng. Mohammad Al Anani, Governor of Aden Ahmed Salimin, Governor of Abyan Abu Bakr bin Hussein and Governor of Lahj Brigadier General Ahmad Al Turki Fadl al-Jaadi.

Dr. Al Khanbashi thanked the government and the people of the Kingdom for assisting the Yemeni people, “this support will be a milestone in the bilateral relations between the two countries' leadership.”

SDRPY representative, Eng. Salman Al-Hazimi, said on behalf of program supervisor, Ambassador Mohammed bin Saeed Al Jaber, "The program works to study and implement all the needs of the brotherly Yemeni people, in the water sector and all service sectors, for development and reconstruction throughout the Republic of Yemen."

He added that the delivery of 40 water tankers today is a continuation of developmental and infrastructure projects previously launched in all governorates across several sectors. Coordination continues with the legitimate government and local authorities to benefit the Yemeni people, providing employment opportunities while improving services and living conditions.

SDRPY is also supporting Yemen’s water sector by drilling wells and supplying water tanks in the governorates of Marib, Al Mahra, Socotra and Hajjah, establishing water carrier lines and developing distribution networks in the city of Al Ghaydah and building a purification station on the island of Al Fasht.

The water tanker delivery closely follows a SDRPY operation to alleviate the effects of water damage caused by torrential rains and flooding in Aden province. In a joint mission with the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Centre (KSRelief), SDRPY engineers and workers withdrew water from streets and residential areas in and around Aden using SDRPY water tanker-trucks. The mission also provided foodstuffs, medicines and housing materials, reopened roads, restored electrical systems, sprayed pesticide in coordination with the Yemeni Health Ministry and supplied vital equipment to address adverse sanitation and hygiene conditions.