International donors today pledged more than US$2 billion to support the delivery of urgently needed humanitarian aid to millions of people in Yemen. On 3 April 2018, the United Nations and the Governments of Sweden and Switzerland are convening a High-Level Pledging Event in Geneva for the Humanitarian Crisis in Yemen, to support the humanitarian response in Yemen and alleviate the suffering of the Yemeni people 2018 Yemen High-Level Pledging Event
The complex emergency in Yemen has deteriorated significantly since hostilities escalated in March 2015 and is now the largest humanitarian crisis in the world with close to two thirds of the population - 22 million people – in need of humanitarian assistance and protection. Increased humanitarian funding is crucial at this point, but a political solution is the only way to reach sustainable peace and development in Yemen, said Minister for International Development Cooperation and Climate and Deputy Prime Minister of Sweden Isabella Lövin. The Minister highlighted the importance of attention to the issue of child rights and child protection and emphasized the need to see the needs of women, men, boys and girls in the humanitarian response: “A whole generation is at risk – and this generation needs to rebuild Yemen”.
The UN, Sweden and Switzerland called on all parties to the conflict for urgent unimpeded humanitarian access to all parts of Yemen and respecting and observing international humanitarian law and human rights. “Urgent cessation of hostilities and a political solution for Yemen are the only key to a sustainable political solution”, the Secretary-General emphasised.“
Find full list of pledges online on United Nations OCHA.
Read Sweden’s speech here.