Belgium, (Brussels Morning Newspaper) The European Commission has announced humanitarian aid for Yemen worth 193 million euro.
The EC pointed out in a statement released on Monday that the money will help the most vulnerable people in Yemen, which is devastated by civil war.
Speaking at the Riyadh International Humanitarian Forum, European Commissioner for Crisis Management Janez Lenarčič noted that the EU will provide some 136 million euro through its humanitarian partners, including the UN and NGOs.
“Yemen remains one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises… 17 million people are food insecure,” Lenarčič stressed and added “the European Union is committed to continue supporting Yemeni people as long as it is needed.”
He urged all parties to allow access and operation of humanitarian groups and concluded “we also must not forget that only a political solution can put an end to this suffering.”
Jutta Urpilainen, European Commissioner for International Partnerships, added that “the EU is committed to providing the Yemenis with long-term development assistance and building their resilience.”
“The EU wants a resolution of the conflict as only lasting peace will bring about recovery and growth,” she concluded.
Focus of assistance
The Commission pointed out that EU aid will focus on health, food assistance, water and sanitation with the aim of preventing malnutrition and transmission of disease.
The EC earmarked roughly 55 million euro “for food security and livelihoods support addressing both urgent food security needs as well as long-term development and self-reliance.”
The body stressed the importance of local food production in Yemen’s recovery, pointing out that it will make the country more resilient and less dependent.
The Commission reminded that the Yemeni civil war broke out in 2014, warning that violence continues to endanger civilians, drive displacement and jeopardise critical infrastructure.
Import is restricted, which drives up prices of food, fuel and medicines, and causes shortages. The EC pointed out that, according to estimates, 21.6 million people in Yemen need protection and humanitarian aid.
The EU provided more than 1.4 billion euro to Yemen since 2015, of which nearly one billion in humanitarian aid and more than 450 million in development assistance.
