Humanitarian organizations expect the global community to provide $4.3 billion in aid to 17.3 million Yemenis in 2023, the UN press release on the occasion of the donor conference on Yemen, issued on Monday, reads.
The forum was organized by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, together with the governments of Switzerland and Sweden.
After years of war, a humanitarian emergency persists in Yemen, the UN noted. Although a six-month cease-fire last year brought some relief to civilians, the ongoing suffering of the population "has taken on a large scale, mainly because of the deteriorating economy and the collapse of basic services." "Aid agencies need $4.3 billion this year to help 17.3 million people across the country," the world organization stressed, explaining that without sustained support, "the lives of millions of Yemenis will hang in the balance and efforts to end the conflict will become more difficult."
"The international community has the strength and resources to end this crisis," Guterres said on the occasion of the donor conference. He called for full funding of the appeal for funds for Yemen and thus to "give hope to the people" of that country.
The UN recalled that last year "donors generously provided more than $2.2 billion," which made it possible to support nearly 11 million Yemenis. It's about food, drinking water, shelter and access to education. More than 200 humanitarian organizations delivered aid packages to all 333 districts of Yemen.
In Yemen, the confrontation between government forces and supporters of the Ansar Allah (Houthis) rebel movement has been going on since August 2014. It reached its most active phase with the Saudi Arabia-led coalition's invasion of the country in March 2015. In early April 2022, the parties to the conflict managed to negotiate a ceasefire, but the ceasefire expired on October 2. The conflict led to the largest humanitarian crisis in the world. According to the UN, more than 21 million Yemenis (two-thirds of the country's population) will need humanitarian assistance in 2023.
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Based on materials from TASS