London commits aid to Yemen 25 (UPI) -- The British government announced it was committing $45.3 million to address the humanitarian crisis in war-torn Yemen. Yemeni President Abdu Rabbo Mansour Hadi met with British authorities ahead of the U.N. General Assembly in New York. Hadi's visit to London was his first to a non-Arab country since he took office in February. The British Foreign and Commonwealth office said in a statement that Yemen has made "remarkable progress" since Hadi took office, though tackling the threat posed by al-Qaida and other militant groups should be a top priority for his administration. The British government said it was committing $45.3 million to help Yemen address humanitarian challenges that are in part a result of lingering conflict in the country. Jamal Benomar, a U.N. special adviser on Yemen, had said after his return from the country that there were "serious challenges" for the country despite political gains. Hadi joins British Foreign Secretary William Hague in the United States this week for a meeting of the Friends of Yemen group, which takes place on the sidelines of the U.N. sessions.