UN calls for $4.3bn of humanitarian aid for Yemen

ByNews Desk- The Cradle 

Over 33 million people in Yemen are in desperate need of humanitarian aid

The United Nations (UN) called for $4.3 billion of humanitarian aid for the millions of Yemenis affected by the devastating impact of the Saudi-led coalition’s war against the country.

The UN appeal was proposed on 27 February, a day before this week’s donors conference, with several UN officials warning that global humanitarian necessities are drastically extending donor support “like never before.”

According to US-funded Famine Early Warning Systems Network (FEWS), Yemen is facing dire food shortages on a crisis level, specifically in the Marib and Hajjah governorates. The organization added that the situations in these areas are predicted to exacerbate given “expectations for gradually re-escalating conflict and large populations of displaced households who are highly dependent on assistance.”

Due to the economic blockade imposed on Sanaa and the global energy crisis created by western sanctions against Russia over its military operation in Ukraine, prices for fuel, gas, and electricity have vastly increased in Yemen, which put the majority of Yemen’s population below the standard of living conditions, with 33 million Yemenis reportedly in need of humanitarian aid.

On top of that, the Saudi-led coalition continues to attack positions in Yemen. Despite the kingdom’s attacks being less frequent in comparison to the situation before the first temporary Saudi-Yemen ceasefire in early 2022, Riyadh is still eager to support its allied government in Yemen against the Yemeni resistance movement Ansarallah.

According to the state-run Saudi Press Agency, Saudi Arabia deposited $1 billion into the central bank of Yemen’s internationally recognized government on the same day as the UN proposal.

In 2016, the internationally recognized government relocated the operations of the Central Bank of Yemen from Sanaa to Aden, which worsened economic problems, including inflation, unpaid salaries, and currency devaluation. Over the past four years, the government has also issued currency that altered the look and color of the Yemeni rial banknotes, which are not accepted in Ansarallah-controlled areas of the country.

By late 2022, UNICEF reported that over 17.8 million people, including 9.2 million children, lacked access to safe drinking water, sanitation, and hygiene services.  The country continues to experience frequent outbreaks of cholera, measles, diphtheria, and other vaccine-preventable diseases.