Ukraine must not overshadow the serious hunger crisis in Yemen, which has been plagued by a devastating war since 2014 and is now on the brink of a humanitarian “catastrophe”, the UN said on Wednesday at a conference of donors.
“Yemen may no longer be in the headlines, but the human suffering there has not diminished. […] Today, the lack of funds threatens to lead to a catastrophe,” warned UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres at the opening of the virtual conference.
“Millions of people are in the grip of extreme hunger, and the World Food Program has had to cut rations in half due to lack of funds. Further cuts are imminent,” he said.
As humanitarian needs grow in Yemen and the war in Ukraine drives up commodity prices, including wheat, UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Martin Griffiths has called on donors to release “nearly 4.3 billion dollars” to help 17.2 million people in Yemen.
Two out of three Yemenis — or 20 million people — live in extreme poverty.
“Ukraine keeps us very busy and is a major concern, but it is essential that no other crisis is forgotten,” Manuel Bessler, head of the Swiss Humanitarian Aid Corps, told the media.
According to the UN, some 161,000 people will soon face “catastrophic food insecurity, a harbinger of what could happen to 7.1 million people who are only a walk away from this final stage of ‘a humanitarian crisis’.
“The humanitarian situation in Yemen is among the worst in the world,” said Martin Griffiths at a press conference.
This situation is likely to worsen, as the uncertainty linked to the conflict in Ukraine has pushed world grain markets to new heights. And about a third of the wheat used in Yemen comes from Russia and Ukraine, according to Martin Griffiths.
“Food prices have already skyrocketed and we expect supply restrictions,” he said. And this, even though food prices have already almost doubled in Yemen last year.
The UN’s appeal is all the more urgent as the funds available to humanitarian organizations are drying up.
“Agencies are forced to reduce or stop the distribution of food aid, as well as the provision of health services and other life-saving aid,” Griffiths said.
“Today, we hope to raise the necessary funds to replenish the food supply chain, supply health centers, provide shelter for displaced people and let Yemenis know that we have not forgotten them,” he said. -he throws.
Without rapid cash injections, nearly four million people will no longer have clean water to drink.
“Today, we must do everything in our power to fill the immediate funding gap and strengthen the distribution of aid”, implored Antonio Guterres.
“We cannot leave people adrift without humanitarian aid,” he said.