Middle East

Yemen pledging drive seeks $2.4 billion to save aid operations as coronavirus spreads

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The United Nations and Saudi Arabia host a pledging conference for war-ravaged Yemen on Tuesday to help raise some $2.4 billion as funding shortages imperil the world's biggest aid operation.

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The conflict between a Saudi-led coalition and the Iran-aligned Houthi group has left 80% of Yemen's population reliant on aid. The country now faces the spread of the novel coronavirus among an acutely malnourished people.

"Anything below $1.6 billion and the operation will be facing catastrophic cutbacks," Lise Grande, U.N. Humanitarian Coordinator for Yemen, told Reuters just days prior to the conference.

"We won't be able to provide the food people need to survive, or the health care they need or the water or sanitation or the nutrition support which helps to keep 2 million malnourished children from dying," she said.

The U.N.-coordinated humanitarian plan received $3.2 billion last year, but so far in 2020 has only secured $474 million, aid chief Mark Lowcock said on Thursday, adding that most agencies are weeks away from being broke.

Lowcock, asked about Saudi Arabia co-hosting the event, said Riyadh was a large donor and the U.N. would continue to call out warring parties on actions "they should not be doing".

Saudi Arabia has already pledged $525 million. The United States said last month it would extend $225 million in emergency aid for food.

Some $180 million of required funding is needed to combat coronavirus in a country with shattered health systems and inadequate testing capabilities.

"Yemen is at a precipice. All indications point to COVID19 spreading fasRead More – Source

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