Yemen and the International Development Association (IDA), part of the World Bank that helps the world's poorest countries, have signed an agreement to provide USD 40 million through the World Bank in support for the rural roads projects and the road maintenance fund. Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Planning and International Cooperation for Projects Programming sector, Abdullah Al Shater said the agreement came within the frame work of boosting cooperation between Yemen and IDA, praising IDA's efforts in supporting development in Yemen. In other news, Yemeni tribesmen held onto a kidnapped Japanese aid worker after agreeing to release him to mediators in a mountainous area near the Yemeni capital, Sana‘a, the leader of the clan holding the hostage said. (Saba, Bloomberg)
