Joint Statement by 188 Humanitarian Organizations Urges Donors to Remain Committed to Assisting Yemenis

Yemen Monitor/ Newsroom

The United Nations, international NGOs, and Yemeni civil society organizations have issued an urgent appeal for continued support to 18.2 million people in need in Yemen.

With five months of 2024 passed , only 0.4$billion has been received of the 2.7$ billion required for the 2024 Yemens Humanitarian Response Plan.

“Ahead of the sixth High-Level Pledging Conference for Yemen on 7 May in Brussels, the United Nations, international NGOs, and Yemeni civil society organizations are issuing an urgent appeal for continued support to 18.2 million people in need in Yemen,” the statement said. “With five months of 2024 passed, only 0.4$ billion has been received of the 2.7$ billion required for the 2024 Yemen Humanitarian Response Plan.”

After nine years of conflict, more than half of Yemen’s population  (18.2 million people, including 14 million women and children ) require humanitarian assistance and protection services.

The humanitarian community in Yemen, committed to serving the population in an impartial manner, continues to deliver one of the largest humanitarian responses in the world in a challenging and complex operational environment. In 2023, 229 humanitarian actors – mostly local partners – supported an average of 8.4 million people per month with life-saving protection and humanitarian assistance,

stressing that the aid reaches those in need, despite the restrictions on access and funding.

Yemen stands at a crossroads. The country has witnessed a slight improvement in humanitarian conditions following the ceasefire mediated by the United Nations and its continuation by virtue of the status quo. With these gains, partners have transitioned towards resilience-building programming and enhancing sustainable solutions by addressing the root causes of need. However, we cannot overlook the significant humanitarian needs that persist and cannot be met without sufficient funding for response.

They indicated: Economic deterioration, service and infrastructure decline, displacement resulting from conflicts, and climate-related disasters continue to drive the humanitarian crisis. Increasing food insecurity, the threat of rising malnutrition rates – especially among pregnant and lactating women, the elderly, and children – and the spread of cholera during the current rainy season pose threats to communities across the country. Violations of international humanitarian law and international human rights law persist, with war remnants leading to death, injury, displacement, restricting access to agricultural lands and resettlement, and hindering reconstruction and development efforts post-conflict.

They added that funding must be ensured for the well-prioritized and focused 2024 Humanitarian Response Plan to preserve the gains made and prevent further deterioration in the humanitarian situation. So far, only 435$ million of the 2.7$ billion required for the 2024 Yemen Humanitarian Response Plan has been funded, leaving unmet requirements of 2.3$ billion. The funding gap poses a challenge to the continuation of humanitarian programs, resulting in delays, reductions, and suspensions of life-saving assistance programs. These challenges have a direct impact on the lives of millions who rely on humanitarian assistance and protection services for survival.

Humanitarian partners are committed to transforming the response in Yemen and reducing humanitarian needs. As partners, we will continue to work together to improve the quality of humanitarian assistance and maximize impact through high-quality, needs-based targeted programming. Partners will expand collaboration with development actors and promote greater Yemeni leadership for a locally led and locally informed response, to help Yemenis rebuild their future. However, to do this, continued support from humanitarian partners is needed.

They said that inaction would have catastrophic consequences for the lives of Yemeni women, children, and men. The Sixth High-Level Pledging Conference is a critical moment to mobilize support and collective action to address the deteriorating crisis. The humanitarian community calls on donors to urgently address the current funding gaps and provide sustained support to build resilience and reduce reliance on aid.