(AGENPARL) - Roma, 27 Febbraio 2023 - (AGENPARL) – lun 27 febbraio 2023 International Committee of the Red Cross
Yemen: Funding shortages risk pushing Yemen’s humanitarian crisis from bad to worse
ICRC – News Release
27 February 2023
Geneva (ICRC) – Although 2022 witnessed some promising developments in Yemen, the conflict there is entering its eighth year with no clear long-term resolution in sight. Despite a months-long truce, Yemen remains in a precarious situation with essential infrastructure in tatters and two-thirds of its people completely drained by a lack of access to basic needs. Funding shortages risk turbo-charging Yemen’s humanitarian woes from bad to worse.
“For the first time in 11 years, the operations of the International Committee of the Red Cross and the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement in Yemen were underfunded last year. This is a worrying development which, if not reversed, will undermine the progress of neutral and impartial humanitarian action,” said Robert Mardini, ICRC’s director-general.
In 2023, 21.6 million people in Yemen need humanitarian assistance and protection. Many families are now selling any remaining possessions to afford a meal. Education has been disrupted for millions of children. Four million people remain displaced, and Yemen continues to suffer from a deteriorating economy, severely hampered access to essential services and extensive weapon contamination. The direct effects of climate change are palpable, as 2022 saw a prolonged drought followed by heavy floods that further exhausted the remaining coping mechanisms.
“Each year that passes without a political resolution makes recovery from the conflict more difficult. Even if a durable settlement were reached, humanitarian needs would remain high for years to come,” Mardini said.
The collective response of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement to the crisis in Yemen, which benefits from complementary international and local knowledge, is one of our largest humanitarian operations worldwide. The Movement’s 2023 budget of 181 million Swiss francs ($192 million) will be used to carry out much-needed protection and prevention work, support access to health care and deliver critical humanitarian assistance. particularly in areas inaccessible to other humanitarian actors and where needs are massive.
“The ICRC urges the international community to continue funding humanitarian actors like the Red Cross Red Crescent Movement to ensure people of Yemen are protected from harm and have access to food, and vital services such as clean water and health care,” Mardini said.
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