Donors allocate over $790 million to support humanitarian needs in Yemen
On 7 May, senior representatives from across the humanitarian community gathered in Brussels for the sixth Senior Officials Meeting (SOM VI) to discuss the humanitarian situation in Yemen. The SOM was co-hosted by Sweden and the European Commission.
Ahead of the meeting, the humanitarian community in Yemen came together to issue an urgent call to donors to remain committed to the people of Yemen. The joint statement was signed by 190 organisations—12 UN agencies, 31 international organisations, and 147 national organisations—warning that “inaction would have catastrophic consequences for the lives of Yemeni women, children and men.”
Despite challenges of access and funding, the statement said, aid is reaching those is need, and humanitarian partners are committed to transforming the response in Yemen and reducing humanitarian need. To do so, however, humanitarian partners’ sustained support is required. As a testimony to the impact of humanitarian programming in Yemen, a joint “Stories of Inspiration” was released ahead of the SOM. The collective booklet, in English and Arabic, features inspiring individual stories across Yemen, showcasing how humanitarian action is improving lives and bringing positive change.
After the SOM, a statement by Sweden indicated that Belgium, the EU, France, Finland, Germany, Ireland, Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, the UK, and the US have allocated $791.69 million to address the most pressing emergencies in the country. On behalf of the humanitarian community, OCHA thanks those donors, whose commitment will help save lives, enhance resiliency and ultimately reduce aid dependency.