The United States has pledged to provide additional financial assistance of $191 million to the relief efforts in Yemen.
During the fifth conference of its kind to announce financial pledges for relief efforts in Yemen, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the volume of US aid during the current fiscal year to Yemen would reach more than $350 million.
Relief efforts in Yemen
Blinken said the US has provided more than $3.4 billion in humanitarian aid in Yemen since the war started six years ago.
He said his country is committed to playing its role by providing humanitarian support and assistance in dealing with obstacles facing the arrival of relief in Yemen.
Blinken called on all parties to stop obstructing the delivery of humanitarian aid.
He also appealed to everyone to allow the import and distribution of fuel. The current scarcity of fuel is leading to the deterioration of the humanitarian situation, he added.
The Secretary said the humanitarian crisis in Yemen will not end without ending the war, adding that his country is reactivating its diplomatic efforts to support this goal.
Ceasing fire
Blinken called on the Houthis to stop launching cross-border attacks and offensive operations, which he said would prolong the war.
He also affirmed support for the process led by the United Nations and UN Special Envoy Martin Griffiths to reach a ceasefire, facilitate humanitarian access and resume peace talks.
He also called on all parties to respect international humanitarian law and stop attacks against civilians.
For his part, Abdullah Al-Rabiah, General Supervisor of the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center in Saudi Arabia, announced that his country pledged $430 million to support the humanitarian response plan in Yemen during the current year.
A humanitarian crisis
Al-Rabiah said Yemen is witnessing a humanitarian crisis, in addition to economic, health and political challenges resulting from the Covid-19 pandemic, with what he described as a major escalation of the crisis by the Houthis, especially in Marib Governorate, which was a safe place for the displaced.
He added that the Houthis have also escalated “their terrorist acts to threaten neighboring countries, and that this requires a strong and decisive stance from the international community to protect the Yemeni people and reach a sustainable solution that achieves peace, stability and development for Yemen, the region and the world in the end.”
He expressed the hope that today we will find more sustainable and effective solutions to alleviate human suffering in Yemen.
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