UN warns of worsening humanitarian disaster in Yemen
The head of the World Food Program, citing malnutrition and hunger in Yemen, warned that the needy will be left without rations this winter if funding is not provided. Only half of the $4 billion requested by the United Nations has been received.
Donor countries, during a virtual meeting on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, allocated another $600 million for humanitarian supplies for the people of Yemen. The United States will provide $290 million and the European Union $119 million. The UN, however, is seeking a budget of $4 billion.
David Beasley, executive director of the World Food Program, while welcoming the help from wealthy countries, noted that the UN agency does not have enough resources to meet the humanitarian needs of half of Yemen's population. He emphasized that 12.9 million Yemenis suffer from malnutrition, health deficiencies and lack of medical and treatment, and if the necessary funds are not provided, this number will reach 16 million.
Yisley warned that if the deficits are not made up, it will be necessary to reduce or cut food rations for 3.2 million people in October, and this will apply to 5 million people in the following months. He also appreciated the payments from the United States, Germany, the UAE, Saudi Arabia and many other countries, saying that this aid prevented a catastrophe and famine in Yemen earlier this year.
The head of the World Food Programme has urged world leaders to do all they can to pressure the warring parties to end the bloodshed and suffering of ordinary people. "If donors are tired of helping, then they should do something to end the war," he added.
Henrietta Forte, the head of the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), also highlighted the emergency situation of 11.3 million Yemeni children who need urgent help to survive at the UN virtual meeting. "Two million and a half million children under the age of five are severely malnourished, of whom 400,000 are at risk of death from extreme weakness and hunger," she said.
He added that some of these children die due to being deprived of the three childhood vaccines.
Providing half of the requested budget
Earlier this year, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called on wealthy countries to provide $3.85 billion in humanitarian aid to Yemen. Nine months into the year, they have pledged only $1.7 billion, about half of his request.
Guterres called the figure "disappointing."
According to the United Nations, a child in Yemen dies every ten minutes from completely preventable causes. The head of the World Food Program says that budget cuts to the World Food Program in Yemen could lead to the deaths of 400,000 children under the age of five next year.
“Think of them as your own little boys and girls,” David Bisbee told officials from donor countries in a virtual meeting.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken called humanitarian aid to Yemen vital, but added that money alone cannot solve the current crisis. He called on parties to the civil war in Yemen, the Houthi rebels, government forces, and Saudi Arabia, to work to ensure supplies and fuel are delivered to Yemen. Fuel shortages have crippled Yemen's fragile economy and made it impossible to distribute food and provide daily necessities to starving people.
Yemen, the world's poorest country, has been embroiled in a seven-year power struggle and civil war between Shiite Houthi militias and Sunni forces loyal to Abd Rabbuh Mansour Hadi. In March 2015, Saudi Arabia and other Arab countries formed a military coalition to support forces loyal to the government.
Iran, however, supports the Houthis. The Yemeni war is also called a proxy war between Tehran and Riyadh, the two regional rivals, Shiite and Sunni.
The war has left tens of thousands dead and millions displaced. The United Nations has described the situation in Yemen as the world's worst humanitarian crisis.
Source: DW
