Organisers of the United Nations (UN) pledging conference have said Yemen must not become a forgotten crisis behind Ukraine, warning of intense hunger if donation targets are not met.

The United Nations (UN) has considered war-torn Yemen as the world’s worst humanitarian disaster, but warned that the money preventing the situation from getting worse is running out.

“Today we are meeting to plug a huge gap in funding for the life-saving response,” UN Humanitarian Chief, Martin Griffiths told reporters.

“The war is in its seventh year and counting. The economy lies in ruins. Basic services are collapsing. This year’s response needs nearly $4.3 billion to help over 17 million people across Yemen.”
UN Humanitarian Chief, Martin Griffiths

The Humanitarian Chief intimated that as funding has been drying up since late last year (2021), aid agencies are also being forced to cut back or stop food and health services.

“Today we hope to raise the money to replenish the food pipeline, stock up health clinics and provide shelter to the displaced. And to send a message to the people in Yemen that we do not forget them.”
UN Humanitarian Chief, Martin Griffiths

The British diplomat [Martin Griffiths] said Russia’s full-scale invasion on Ukraine, launched last month (February 2022), would have far-reaching secondary impacts. Griffiths disclosed that it will “surely harm the lives of many Yemenis”, given that the country depends almost entirely on food imports, with nearly a third of its wheat supplies coming from Ukraine.

According to the UN, out of 31.9 million people in Yemen, 23.4 million were in need of humanitarian assistance, of which 12.9 million were in acute need.

Yemen has been wracked by a devastating war since 2014, pitting the Iran-backed Huthi rebels against the internationally recognised government, which is supported by a Saudi-led military coalition.

Hundreds of thousands of people have been killed directly and indirectly in the war, leaving millions displaced.

Factors that could make situations worse

According to the World Food Programme (WFP), the levels of hunger could become catastrophic if the Ukraine crisis pushed up food prices.

The pledging event started on Wednesday, March 16, 2022, and is being co-hosted by the UN humanitarian agency, Switzerland and Sweden.

Manuel Bessler, Switzerland’s humanitarian Aid Chief disclosed saying: “As of course Ukraine keeps us very much busy and is a huge concern, it is crucial that no other crisis becomes a forgotten crisis”.

The Food and Agriculture Organization, WFP and the UNICEF children’s agency in a joint statement noted that the humanitarian situation is likely to worsen between June and December 2022.

“Yemen’s already dire hunger crisis is teetering on the edge of outright catastrophe, with 17.4 million people now in need of food assistance and a growing portion of the population coping with emergency levels of hunger.”
The three UN agencies (FAO, WFP and UNICEF) warned

WFP revealed that the number of people needing food assistance has increased by 1.2 million over the past year, and it is projected to reach 19 million people in the second half of 2022.

WFP Executive Director, David Beasley said“We are looking at a seismic hunger crisis if we do not step up now”.

“Funding for Yemen has never reached this point. We have no choice but to take food from the hungry to feed the starving.”
WFP Executive Director, David Beasley