The Yemeni government wants to curb poverty and unemployment by expanding infrastructure and oil investment projects, Yemen's al-Hadath daily reported Monday (August 13th).

Abdullah al-Dulaimi, deputy executive director of the Social Fund for Development of the Council of Ministers, said the fund identified a list of projects for the coming years.

"Poverty is growing in the country, and the Social Fund for Development plans to implement a host of projects from now until 2015 worth more than $2 million to curb poverty," he said.

"These projects would particularly focus on rural areas where the poverty rate is high and infrastructure projects are needed."

Yemeni officials will raise the issue at the Donor Conference in Riyadh in September to cover this funding gap, according to al-Dulaimi. He said one-half of the necessary funding has already been secured.