US Embassy: Houthis Collected $1.3 Billion in 2023, Funded Wars Over Salaries

The US Embassy in Yemen has accused the Houthi group of accumulating approximately 3.4 trillion Yemeni rials in revenue during 2023, which it claims was then allocated to fund internal and external conflicts rather than being used for civil servant salaries and essential public services.

Khalid Wolfsberg, the spokesperson for the US Embassy in Yemen, stated in a video released by the embassy that the group's revenues included proceeds from oil derivatives, customs duties, and "khums" (a religious tax). He highlighted that the Houthis attribute economic deterioration to other parties while diverting collected funds away from the population's needs.

Wolfsberg explained that these revenues could have been utilized to pay salaries for civil servants and teachers, create employment opportunities, and improve public services. Instead, he asserted, they are being directed towards financing the group's ongoing conflicts, both within Yemen and abroad, thereby endangering Yemeni lives and regional security.

The US spokesperson referenced a video showing a Houthi leader announcing the donation of significant sums to the Iranian regime. Wolfsberg described this as indicative of resources being channeled outward while Yemenis suffer from deteriorating living conditions and escalating economic crises.

Wolfsberg concluded his remarks by invoking a Yemeni proverb, "O distributor of broth, your own household is more deserving," to criticize what he characterized as the group's spending priorities. He noted that the Houthis continue to collect revenue in areas under their control without directing it to meet the basic needs of their citizens.