September 2020 – We are now sleepwalking towards a seventh year of war, and the people of Yemen can only surmise that the world has forgotten them. Two-thirds of the population – 20 million people – are hungry, and nearly 1.5 million families currently rely entirely on food aid to survive. Ongoing fighting continues to take a devastating toll on civilians. Airstrikes, shelling and ground fighting continue, with 10 new frontlines having emerged since the beginning of 2020. In July and August 2020 alone at least 33 civilians were killed in airstrikes – including 21 children.

At a critical time when needs are increasing, famine once again looms, and COVID-19 remains a constant threat, it is inconceivable that funding for Yemen’s humanitarian response is drying up. At the June 2020 donor conference, around half of the $2.4 billion hoped for was pledged. The Humanitarian Response Plan is only 30% funded, and the suspension and reduction of aid is leaving families vulnerable to malnutrition, disease and death. More international funding is essential to help save and rebuild lives and provide basic services, which are critically lacking.

Operational humanitarian organization’s in Yemen, including the DRA JR partners, have stated repeatedly that this war must end. UN Security Council members have a moral imperative to use the 75th General Assembly to demonstrate that peace in Yemen is their absolute number one priority. Read the whole statement of the humanitarian organizations here.

The Dutch Relief Alliance Joint Response in Yemen has been running since 2015 with a focus on delivering multi-sectoral life-saving assistance.