Sweden calls for greater humanitarian access in Yemen to boost efforts to tackle crisis
Yemen’s humanitarian crisis is worsening amid a shortfall in funding for aid agencies, Sweden’s Minister for International Development and Co-operation has said.
This year’s $3.85 billion aid response plan to what the UN has described as the world’s largest humanitarian crisis fell short by more than $2bn.
The lack of funds forced some agencies to end operations in the country.
“Yemen is collapsing under our watch and we have to act on it, we need to call for immediate humanitarian access,” Per Olsson Fridh told The National during a visit to Dubai.
“We need to push for humanitarian access and show that we have reached those in need, to convince donor countries to contribute financially.”
The UN said about five million people in Yemen were facing starvation as the country faces its worst famine in 40 years. About 21 million people – three quarters of the country’s population – rely on aid.
“Yemen is, unfortunately, not the only huge humanitarian crisis that we have ... and the impacts of Covid-19 on economies had an impact,” Mr Fridh said.
During a donor conference for Yemen in March, “many countries were hesitant because they did not know how their economies would develop post-Covid”, he said.
But Mr Fridh welcomed the “generous contribution” from the UAE, which has committed $230 million this year and $6.3bn throughout the conflict.
Saudi Arabia said it has given more than $18bn since the conflict began. Mr Fridh said there was an urgent need to increase international contributions.
The humanitarian crisis has been exacerbated by problems including a collapsing economy and restricted access for humanitarian groups.
“We are consistently active in trying to find and mediate solutions in Yemen and we are also very active in trying to mobilise humanitarian funding, because in the absence of a political solution it’s our responsibility to save lives in Yemen,” Mr Fridh said.
The UN brokered an agreement between the internationally recognised government and Iran-backed Houthi rebels in December 2018 in Sweden.
The agreement has not yet been fully introduced.
“We are open and eager to play a mediating role, but the parties of this conflict, peace is in their hands, and that is something we urge both sides to consider and work towards,” he said.