Truce in Yemen could aid in reversal of humanitarian crisis, United Nations

The UN has warned of a “worsening” humanitarian situation in Yemen, but a tenuous two-month truce in place since early April may help reverse the situation.

“The deepening humanitarian situation in Yemen is a reality that we must address promptly,” said David Gressly, the UN humanitarian coordinator for Yemen, in a statement issued late Saturday.

“Over 23 million people — nearly three-quarters of Yemen’s population — now require help… a nearly three-million-person rise since 2021,” he stated.

Gressly asked donors to take advantage of an UN-brokered cease-fire that has been in effect since April 2.

“The UN-led truce is a vital opportunity for aid agencies to scale up life-saving assistance and to reach more people in acute need quickly, including in areas where access was limited due to armed conflict and insecurity,” he said.

“For aid agencies to immediately step up efforts, we count on sufficient donor funding. Otherwise, the aid operation will collapse despite the positive momentum we are seeing in Yemen today,” Gressly warned.

He stated that the UN requires approximately $4.3 billion for its humanitarian response plan for Yemen in 2022 in order to “correct a persistent deterioration of the humanitarian situation.”

According to him, the initiative intends to reach 17.3 million individuals, with over 13 million “currently confronting acute levels of need.”

Aid is used by 80% of the 30 million people in the country.

The truce, which can be extended, has given the poor country a rare reprieve from violence.

It has also witnessed the arrival of oil tankers at the port of Hodeida, potentially alleviating fuel shortages in Sanaa and elsewhere.

The agreement also included a promise to restore commercial flights from Sanaa’s airport for the first time in six years, though the inaugural flight, scheduled for late April, was postponed indefinitely, with each side blaming the other.

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