EU Concerned Over Lack Of Int'l Assistance To Crisis-Hit Yemen, Urges To Increase Funding

Donor countries and organizations should increase financial aid to Yemen, which is currently facing the world's worst humanitarian crisis, as the country lacks international assistance, European Commissioner for Crisis Management Janez Lenarcic and Swedish Minister for International Development Cooperation Peter Eriksson said in a joint statement published by the European Commission on Friday

BRUSSELS (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 13th November, 2020) Donor countries and organizations should increase financial aid to Yemen, which is currently facing the world's worst humanitarian crisis, as the country lacks international assistance, European Commissioner for Crisis Management Janez Lenarcic and Swedish Minister for International Development Cooperation Peter Eriksson said in a joint statement published by the European Commission on Friday.

On Thursday, the European Commission and Sweden held a high-level meeting over the humanitarian situation in conflict-hit Yemen. Apart from increasing aid to the country, the participants discussed the economic causes of the humanitarian crisis.

"We are alarmed by the funding shortages threatening the viability of life-saving programmes implemented by humanitarian actors. We call on all donors, particularly those having reduced significantly their contributions to the humanitarian response in Yemen during 2020, to urgently increase their funding so as to reach the levels of previous years," the statement said.

The officials also noted that apart from increasing humanitarian aid, the international community should tackle political and economic drivers of the crisis to contain it and prevent Yemenis from depending on aid.

"A long-term solution to the situation in Yemen requires an urgent, nationwide ceasefire, and a comprehensive peace agreement, and we urge all parties to actively engage in and support the UN-led political process aiming at a peaceful solution to the conflict," the statement read.

Earlier this week, UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator Mark Lowcock warned that Yemen could face massive famine due to the ongoing crisis in the country and urged the international community to increase funding for humanitarian assistance.

Yemen has been engulfed in an armed conflict between the government forces, led by President Abdrabbuh Mansour Hadi, and the Houthi movement since 2014. In December 2018, the warring parties signed a UN-backed agreement in Sweden. The sides agreed to a ceasefire in Al Hudaydah, an exchange of prisoners and establishment of humanitarian corridors in the area. The prisoner swap process still continues, so do clashes, drone attacks and airstrikes in the conflict-hit country.