VOA News 27 February 2010
International donors are meeting in Saudi Arabia Saturday to discuss how to help Yemen use billions of aid dollars to strengthen the economy and the government.
Nearly four years ago, international donors pledged around $5 billion to help Yemen.
Only about 10 percent of that money has been spent so far.
Analysts say Yemen's government is plagued by inefficiency and corruption, making it hard to put the money to good use.
The attendees, which include the six members of the Gulf Cooperation Council and other international donors, are expected to formulate strategies to overcome these hurdles.
Stability in Yemen has become a growing concern for neighboring Saudi Arabia, the United States and others in the international community as al-Qaida increasingly uses Yemen as a base for planning and launching terrorist attacks.
Al-Qaida fighters in Yemen claimed responsibility for a failed suicide attack on a U.S.-bound airliner in late December. The young Nigerian arrested for the attack has said he was trained by al-Qaida in Yemen.
Some information for this report was provided by AFP.