As civilians continue to suffer from years of war, the International Rescue Committee (IRC) implores donors at the UN pledging conference on Yemen to focus attention on the country’s humanitarian needs and increase pledge commitments as the conflict nears 7 years.

According to the IRC, underfunding of the humanitarian response causes lifesaving programs to be cut every year. Yemen is one of the world’s largest and most complex humanitarian crises in the world, where civilian harm has been driven by years of conflict, destruction of infrastructure, and a collapsed economy. As the Ukraine crisis threatens to exacerbate food insecurity in the country, donors must not forget Yemen, the IRC highlighted in a statement.

Despite cuts to funding and lack of global attention, humanitarian needs in Yemen continue to soar. Civilian casualties from airstrikes reached a high of 426 in January 2022, the most violent month in Yemen in 5 years, according to the IRC.

The IRC stated that Diplomatic stagnation and the dissolution of the Group of Eminent Experts (GEE) have precluded any modicum of accountability in this war. On top of this, the IRC disclosed that more than 20 million people require humanitarian assistance due to the conflict and economic collapse.

Recently, rising inflation and economic warfare compounds their vulnerabilities, with many unable to afford the food they need to survive. The IRC fears the situation could become worse as a result of the war in Ukraine, from which Yemen imports 22% of its wheat consumption.

Food security to worsen in Yemen

Although Yemen’s dependency on food from abroad is not new, the disruption of key imports coupled with catastrophic reductions in humanitarian funding risk driving food prices even higher and further out of reach for most Yemeni families.

“Years of war, diplomatic failures, and economic shocks have devastated the lives of millions of people in Yemen. Yemenis cannot afford to see further cuts to lifesaving services such as food distribution, safe drinking water, educational programs, and healthcare services due to a lack of funding. The crisis in Ukraine threatens to worsen an already-dire food security and humanitarian emergency in Yemen.

“The 2021 Humanitarian Response Plan (HRP) was only 61% funded. As a result of chronic underfunding and low support from the international community, the UN World Food Programme has warned that 8 million people have already begun receiving reduced food rations”.
Tamuna Sabadze, IRC’s Yemen Country Director

Tamuna Sabadze said “Donors must respond to the humanitarian crisis in Yemen by committing to fully fund the HRP when they convene on March 16th”. Tamuna indicated that a well-funded humanitarian response will enable frontline actors like the IRC to continue delivering aid and services to those in need and prevent further cuts to services. IRC’s Yemen Country Director emphasized that “As the world’s attention is grabbed by crises first in Afghanistan and now in Ukraine, donors must not forget Yemen”.

The IRC has been working in Yemen since 2012 and rapidly scaled its programming in 2015 to address greater humanitarian needs caused by the conflict. While the ongoing conflict creates challenges for its operations, the IRC stated that it has maintained access to affected populations and continues to provide life-saving services, including treatment for malnutrition, healthcare, water and sanitation, cash assistance as well as case management services and education programming.

Founded in 1933 at the call of Albert Einstein, the International Rescue Committee responds to the world’s worst humanitarian crises, helping to restore health, safety, education, economic wellbeing, and power to people devastated by conflict and disaster. The IRC is currently working in over 40 countries across the world.