Yemen's army faces deepening pay crisis as wage payments stall for months
Soldiers loyal to Yemen's internationally recognised government say they have not been paid for months as the army's payroll system collapses. Officials cite a budget shortfall caused by falling oil exports and a sliding rial. With aid packages from Saudi Arabia and the UAE delayed, frontline desertions are rising.
Thousands of soldiers loyal to Yemen's internationally recognised government say their pay has been frozen for the past four to six months. The finance ministry, based in Aden, blames the collapse on a drop in oil exports, which provide about 60% of state revenue, and on the rial losing 35% of its value against the dollar.
Traditional Gulf support has also weakened. A 1.2-billion-dollar Saudi-Emirati aid package approved last year is now two quarters behind schedule, delayed by the continuing fight with the Houthis and the wider Iran war. The UN special envoy for Yemen warned that unpaid wages 'are causing the front lines to fray.'
Military officials say desertion rates on the front have risen about 25% in the past six months. Some brigades have started accepting food rations as informal pay. Field diplomats warn that the unpaid-army crisis could shift the balance of power against the Houthis and trigger a new war front in the region.
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