Oxfam has welcomed pledges of $US2 billion in humanitarian aid to help address the crisis in war-torn Yemen, but has said the aid will need to be backed up by international efforts to end the three year war.
The pledges were made by 40 donor nations and organisations in Geneva this week and account for 70 per cent of the almost $US3 billion for which the UN had appealed.
UN Secretary-General Antonion Guterres this week described the situation in Yemen as “catastrophic” and stressed the need for unrestricted access for aid into the country. The latest UN data shows that more than 22 million people – some 75 per cent of the population – now require humanitarian assistance.
Shane Stevenson, Oxfam’s country director in Yemen, said the millions pledged “will provide a crucial short-term lifeline to prevent Yemenis from slipping from crisis into catastrophe”.
“Lives will be saved if the ports are fully opened, goods are allowed to flow through the country and aid reaches areas where it is desperately needed,” he said, before adding: “Welcome as these pledges are, it is only peace that will bring long-term relief to Yemen. Those countries offering generous support need to go further, and redouble diplomatic efforts to end the fighting that is the main cause of so much misery for the Yemeni people.”
Oxfam said the pledges included an additional $AUD3 million from Australia, taking the country’s total contribution to addressing the crisis $AUD23 million in the past year.
Rachel Ball, Oxfam Australia’s head of public policy and advocacy, welcomed the additional funding but called on the Australian Government to “closely monitor the crisis, be prepared to commit additional funding and continue to use diplomatic channels to push for peace”.
Oxfam says it has helped more than 2.8 million people in the country since mid-2015.
