United States Announces Additional Humanitarian Assistance for the People of Yemen
Antony J. Blinken, Secretary of State
Today, I announced nearly $191 million in additional humanitarian assistance at the virtual 2021 High-Level Pledging Event for the Humanitarian Crisis in Yemen. Combined with the nearly $160 million we provided at the end of last year, the United States has provided more than $350 million since the beginning of Fiscal Year 2021. In total, the United States has provided more than $3.4 billion to alleviate the suffering of the people of Yemen since the crisis began six years ago.
The assistance announced today includes more than $177 million from the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and nearly $14 million from the State Department’s Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration. It contributes to international partners’ efforts to assist the 20 million people who rely on humanitarian assistance such as food, health, water, sanitation, hygiene, shelter, protection, and education for internally displaced and conflict-affected Yemenis as well as for refugees and asylum seekers in Yemen. Our assistance also supports prevention and treatment of severe malnutrition, rehabilitation of water systems, repair of roads to improve access to vulnerable communities, and support to help families earn an income and rebuild their livelihoods.
The United States remains committed to delivering aid to the most vulnerable in Yemen, and we commend the generous pledges made by other donors at today’s event. As this conflict, compounded by the impacts of economic crisis and COVID-19, pushes Yemen deeper into crisis, we urgently call on donors to fulfill these pledges quickly, and to rapidly scale up assistance. We also urge those who have not yet stepped up to do so.
The assistance announced today is vital to saving lives and reducing suffering, but it must be able to reach the people who need it most. We again call on the Houthis to cease interference in aid operations to ensure assistance is reaching its intended recipients.
Humanitarian assistance alone cannot address the roots of this crisis; there must be a political solution to this conflict. To that end, we call on the parties to join the process led by UN Special Envoy Martin Griffiths and supported by the reinvigorated diplomatic efforts led by U.S. Special Envoy for Yemen Tim Lenderking to end the conflict in Yemen.
For the latest updates on U.S. humanitarian assistance in Yemen, visit: https://www.usaid.gov/
