Prime Minister Mohammed Salem Basindwa instructed the ministry of finance to immediately allocate $32 million to the southern province in Abyan as compensation payment to all families who were affected by the war against al-Qaeda.
Back in 2011 when Yemen was in the midst of a popular uprising against then-President Ali Abdullah Saleh's regime, al-Qaeda militants in Abyan used the break down in security and power vacuum to invade large swathes of lands, disrupting in the process the lives of tens of thousands of residents.
Yemen eventually regained control over its territories after a large scale military operation against the terror group. Months of fighting left the province in ruin, with tens of thousands of people having been left homeless.
The transition government in the person of Prime Minister Basindwa promised it would allocate sufficient funds to the province to overview the reconstruction of all infrastructures and residential homes in way of compensation.
The $32 million constitute the first installment of Abyan reconstruction fund which stands at an estimated $97 million.
The Governor of Abyan will now ensure that the money goes first to most affected areas, such as local farms and state facilities to return the province to some level of normality and allow IDPs (Internally Displaced People) to feel confident about returning home.