Almost $1.2 billion pledged for Yemen aid at UN conference

More than 30 countries pledged humanitarian aid of almost $1.2 billion at a United Nations conference in Geneva aimed at assisting the population of Yemen after eight years of civil war, UN Emergency Aid Coordinator Martin Griffiths said.
According to the Geneva-based UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), more than 20 million people in a population of around 30 million are in need of support.
OCHA puts the amount needed at $4.3 billion for the year. Only around half of an appeal for a similar amount in 2022 was covered, with the largest donors being the United States, Germany and the European Union.
The money raised nevertheless helped to prevent famine, Griffiths said.
On Monday, Germany pledged €120 million ($127 million) to the UN fund. Making the announcement, Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbork said: "In Yemen we have for years seen one of the world's worst humanitarian catastrophes." The world had too often closed its eyes to events in Yemen, she added.
The war has forced millions of people to flee. More than 2 million children are severely malnourished, and hundreds of thousands are in life-threatening condition. The country's economy has been destroyed and food prices have risen sharply.
A six-month ceasefire expired in October last year, and efforts to secure peace have failed, even though a major escalation in hostilities has been avoided.
Griffiths called for the ceasefire to be extended, saying there was a chance of ending the conflict.
Shiite Houthi rebels backed by Iran overran much of the country in 2014. They are opposed by the government and a military coalition led by Saudi Arabia.