The United Nations has issued an urgent call for $4.3bn in aid to help millions of people in Yemen, where an eight-year war has left the population in dire need of assistance. The plea comes ahead of a donors’ conference to be held on Monday, with UN officials warning that “record global humanitarian needs are stretching donor support like never before”.
The situation in Yemen is dire, with wide swaths of the country facing food shortages and areas of the Marib governorate already at crisis levels. The US-funded Famine Early Warning Systems Network (FEWS) has warned that the situation in the northern Hajja governorate is expected to worsen due to “expectations for gradually re-escalating conflict and large populations of displaced households who are highly dependent on assistance”. This is compounded by the high prices of electricity, fuel and gas driven by threats related to the ongoing conflict.
The war began in 2014 when Houthi rebels seized the capital, Sanaa, and overthrew the internationally-recognised government of President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi. Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) then launched a military coalition in support of Hadi, leading to eight years of fighting that have left hundreds of thousands dead, at least 4.3 million people internally displaced, and two-thirds of the country’s population of nearly 33 million in need of humanitarian aid.
The most recent truce, which began in April 2022, had raised hopes of a lasting peace, but Houthis, who remain in control of much of northeastern Yemen, refused to agree to a further extension. The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) warned that “in the absence of a comprehensive political settlement, continued displacement, the economic situation, and lack of capacity of state institutions, are likely to remain a key driver of needs”.
UN chief Antonio Guterres, who will attend Monday’s donor conference in Geneva, said in a statement that the international community has “the power and the means to end this crisis”. He urged donors to “fund our appeal fully and commit to disbursing funds quickly”. Last year, the UN raised more than $2.2bn to enable aid agencies to reach nearly 11 million people across the country every month.
The UN’s call for $4.3bn in aid for Yemen is an urgent plea for help for millions of people affected by eight years of war. The country is facing food shortages and high prices for electricity, fuel and gas driven by threats related to the ongoing conflict. Hundreds of thousands have died and two-thirds of the population are in need of humanitarian assistance.
The UN’s Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) has warned that without a comprehensive political settlement, continued displacement, economic hardship and lack of capacity in state institutions will remain key drivers of need.
UN chief Antonio Guterres will attend Monday’s donor conference in Geneva and has urged donors to fund the UN’s appeal fully and commit to disbursing funds quickly. Last year, the UN raised more than $2.2bn to enable aid agencies to reach nearly 11 million people across Yemen every month.
The UN’s call for $4.3bn in aid is a vital step towards helping millions of people affected by war in Yemen. The international community has the power and means to end this crisis and it starts with providing urgent financial support. Donors must fund the appeal fully and commit to disbursing funds quickly if they are to make a real difference in Yemen.