Yemen’s Army Stumbles Under Salary Shortfall as Pay Drops Below $40

TL;DR: Yemeni army personnel are receiving monthly pay as low as $38, far below living costs, as the defense budget of $23 million cannot keep salaries current.

Context Yemen’s pro‑government forces have been fighting Houthi rebels since 2014, a conflict that has crippled both sides’ finances. The war has driven down the value of the Yemeni rial, eroding the purchasing power of any wages paid. In cities like Marib, soldiers spend their off‑duty hours in cramped rooms, often scrambling for loans to survive between paychecks.

Key Facts - Monthly salaries for rank‑and‑file soldiers range from 60,000 to 180,000 riyals, roughly $38 to $116. - The army’s monthly budget totals about 36 billion riyals, or $23.2 million, with roughly half allocated to the Fourth Military Region in Aden. - An officer confirmed that the last regular payment reached troops in December, despite promises to clear arrears by the Eid al‑Adha holiday in late May. - Soldiers blame the Ministry of Defence and the General Staff presidency for the unpaid wages, stating no other entity is responsible for their salaries. - Non‑regular formations such as the Security Belts and Elite Forces receive up to $320 a month, creating a stark pay gap within government‑controlled forces.

What It Means The disparity between the army’s limited budget and the low, irregular pay threatens morale and discipline. Analysts warn that persistent arrears may push soldiers toward better‑paid irregular units, depleting the regular army of experienced fighters. Economic experts note that delayed wages also dampen local commerce, as soldiers are a key source of consumer spending in markets across Marib, Aden, and Taiz. The defence ministry attributes the shortfall to liquidity constraints and distribution challenges, but has offered no timeline for resolving the backlog.

The next months will test whether the government can secure additional funding or restructure payments enough to keep the regular army operational and prevent a drift toward rival militias.