The European Commission has pledged €107.5m to help civilians affected by the ongoing conflict and humanitarian crisis in Yemen.
A high-level pledging event was held in Geneva, Switzerland, on Tuesday (3 April) to raise additional funds to support victims of the ongoing conflict and humanitarian crisis in Yemen. Pledges made at the event will bring the total amount of funding allocated to Yemen since the crisis begin in 2015 to €438.2m.
The €107.5m pledged by the European Commission will be divided across a number of priorities, including:
- Emergency humanitarian assistance and aid;
- Development aid to support recovery initiatives; and
- Funding to establish the foundations of sustainability, a political transition and a peace process in the region.
Widespread armed conflict in Yemen has quickly deteriorated the humanitarian situation in the country, and has involved the destruction of basic infrastructure. In turn, this has contributed to the collapse of Yemen’s economy, which has made it difficult to import desperately needed food, medicine and fuel.
What has the EU said about Yemen?
An estimated 22.2m people in Yemen are in need of aid or assistance, a figure which represents some 75% of the country’s population. EU funding to address the ongoing conflict and humanitarian crisis in Yemen has already targeted a cholera outbreak and helped to distribute food throughout the country.
At the pledge event, the European Commissioner for International Co-operation and Development, Neven Mimica, emphasised the urgency with which Yemeni people need humanitarian aid in order to survive.
He said: “Yemen continues to suffer from the devastating effects of conflict. The EU will help people survive and also support them on a path to resilience, recovery and self-reliance. We will support vulnerable communities and the internally displaced in particular, equipping them with sustainable livelihood tools to weather the current crisis.”
Commissioner for Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Management, Christos Stylianides emphasised that the provision of aid and funding would not offer a long term solution to the conflict: “To save lives on the ground, all parties to the conflict must ensure safe, unhindered and continuous humanitarian access to all affected communities in Yemen… A political solution is a matter of urgency to bring an end to this conflict which has caused millions to suffer.”
