The Yemen High Level Pledging Event concluded today with a total of US$1.2 billion pledged by 31 donors. Once again, humanitarian actors will be faced with a funding gap, given only around 28 percent of the required US$4.3 billion has been raised. As the people of Yemen approach their ninth year in conflict, they still hold the glimmer of hope they experienced with the six-month truce in 2022, which saw a significant reduction in casualties and fighting and the prospect of being able to start rebuilding their lives. However, according to the 2023 Humanitarian Response Plan, nearly 23.6 million people (two thirds of the population) are in need of assistance, with the humanitarian community aiming to reach 17.3 million people. Today’s pledges mean organisations will be forced to reduce the number of people reached – including vulnerable women and children.
“Last year the humanitarian community had envisaged we’d need US$ 4.27 billion to meet the needs of 17.9 million Yemenis. Instead, with only 52 percent of the funding needed mobilized by the end of the year, we were only able to reach 10.7 million. And while that is a lot to reach, we need to think about the more than 7 million people we missed out on supporting. We don’t want to see that happening again, but today’s results are dangerously pointing to that direction,” says Bushra Aldukhainah, CARE Yemen’s Area Manager for Hajja, Al Mahwit and Hodeidah.
While negotiations around the extension and expansion of the truce are still ongoing, we reiterate the need for the international community to step up and fund the humanitarian response fully. With one of the highest figures in internal displacement, Yemen has seen over 4 million men, women and children uprooted from their homes, fleeing for safety because of the conflict, as well as natural disasters such as floods and droughts. Up to 8.6 million girls and boys who have an integral role to play in the future of Yemen, are in need of assistance in order to access education. A staggering 80 percent of the population are struggling to access food, safe drinking water and adequate health services.
“We urge the donor community to further strengthen their support in the coming months by continuing to pledge and disburse funding to enable organisations like us help Yemenis pass the hurdle of lifesaving needs. Only then will humanitarian organisations also be able to support longer-term needs, helping Yemenis become more self-reliant, so they can stand on their own feet and be resilient to crises that come their way, whether man-made or natural,” says Iman Abdullahi, CARE Yemen Country Director.
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Website: careyemen.org
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For media enquires please contact Shahrzad Amoli, Advocacy and Communications Coordinator, CARE Yemen – Email: shahrzad.amoli@care.org