A new Yemeni government, supported by Saudi Arabia, was born Friday evening, hoping to end the disputes in the camp of the authority seeking to prevent the Houthi rebels from controlling their last strongholds in the north of the war-stricken country. 

A government official told AFP, preferring to remain anonymous, that the new government includes ministers loyal to President Abd Rabbu Mansour Hadi and others who support the Southern Transitional Council, the political arm of the southern separatists, in addition to representatives of other parties.

The war in Yemen is being fought mainly between the Iranian-backed Houthi rebels and other forces led by pro-government groups with support from a Saudi-led military coalition, since the Houthis controlled large areas nearly six years ago. 

But there are deep divisions in the anti-Houthi camp. The forces that are supposed to be loyal to the government in the south, where power is concentrated, include pro-secession factions from the north, led by the Southern Transitional Council, and accuse the government of corruption and fighting with them. 

Saudi Arabia has worked for more than a year to form the new government to end the differences and devote itself to fighting the Houthis, who are close to controlling Marib, the last stronghold of power in northern Yemen, which borders the kingdom.

The opponents signed an agreement in November 2019 in Riyadh providing for power-sharing in southern Yemen between the government and the separatists and the formation of a new government. But its provisions were not implemented and events quickly overtook them, until the government was born on Friday.

Prime Minister Moein Abdel-Malek retained his position in the new government, which includes 24 ministers in addition to its head, while changes have taken place in several ministries, including the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Abdul Malik said in a tweet on Twitter, "We are confident that the new government, with the support and participation of political and societal forces and components, and the support of the brothers in the coalition to support legitimacy led by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, will be at the level of the popular aspirations held by it despite all the challenges and complications."

The government is supposed to end the differences in the camp of power and devote itself to fighting the Houthis in a war that has put the poorest countries of the Arabian Peninsula on the brink of starvation and has caused the deaths of thousands, the displacement of millions and the worst humanitarian crisis in the world, according to the United Nations.

And last week, the Saudi-led military coalition in Yemen, since March 2015, announced the implementation of a separation process between the PA forces and the separatist forces in several southern cities.

The birth of the new government comes as the administration of US President Donald Trump is considering designating the Houthis as a "terrorist organization," which could lead to complications in the process of delivering aid to millions of Yemenis.

The government also saw the light weeks before US President-elect Joe Biden assumed power, knowing that he had promised during his election campaign to re-evaluate his country's relationship with Saudi Arabia on the background of issues related to human rights and the war in Yemen.