UN Failure to Deliver Effective Humanitarian Aid to the People of Yemen

YemenExtra

SH.A.

Yemen, the poorest country in the Middle East, is enduring the world’s largest humanitarian crisis. Malnutrition and disease, to which children are particularly susceptible, are widespread. “The imposition of preconditions on the Medical Air Bridge in Sana’a contributes to the continuation of the humanitarian crisis and the lack of aid arrival to the Yemenis,” said UN Humanitarian Coordinator, Mark Lowcock, in January 2019.

“Millions of Yemenis are looking to us for help and protection. The Swedish Convention and Council Resolution 2451 have already had an impact, but I can not yet tell you that the broader humanitarian situation in Yemen is better. It is still catastrophic and there are now more than 24 million people in need of humanitarian assistance – 80 % of the population, including 10 million people, is a step from starvation, and more than 3.3 million people – 600,000 of them – have been displaced in the past 12 months.”

While The Undersecretary of the Ministry of Social Affairs and Labor pointed that the international organizations acquire 60 to 70% of the funding of the project in its headquarters, they deliver aid and humanitarian assistance to the Yemeni citizen for not more than 30% of the cost of the project. Mark Lowcock has accused the Army and Popular Committees of blocking the work of the aid groups.

Lowcock said in a press statement that forces loyal to Ansarullah has refused, until today, to allow the United Nations to cross the front lines to areas controlled, by what he called the “government,” to reach the mills. Mohammed Al-Houthi, Head of the Supreme Revolutionary Committee, responded to Lowcock comments saying, “the humanitarian officer Lowkock is receiving misleading information about the alleged obstruction by Army and Popular Committees.” He wondered “If what Lowcock claimed is true, why wheat loads are not distributed in the areas under the occupation control.” The fact that no aid is being used by any of the areas in need of it, including areas under what Lowcock call “government,” than any claims of obstruction by the Ansarallah are not believable.

As Mohammed Al-Houthi responded to comments made by Mark Lowcock, in which he accused the Army and Popular Committees of blocking the work of the aid groups. Al-Houthi, also, explained some facts about the UN failure to implement the Stockholm agreement in Hodeidah. The UN inability to make any progress in the implementation of the Stockholm agreement delays the stabilization of the ceasefire as well as threatens the humanitarian situation.

The United Nations has warned that the WFP’s cereal stockpile in Hodeidah, which is enough to feed up to 3.7 million people for a month, may be rotting because it has no accessibility for more than five months. A joint statement, by UN Special Envoy to Yemen Martin Griffith and Mark Lowcock, said this came as the United Nations was working to expand food aid distribution to reach nearly 12 million people across Yemen. The statement pointed out that there is a confirmation from Ansarullah of their commitment to implement the Hodeidah agreement, and the United Nations appreciates their efforts in the past to reopen the road leading to the mills.

As well as Sayyed Abdulmalik, warned, in his speech yesterday, of using available options to respond to the forces of the US-Saudi coalition, if they failed to abide by the Sweden agreement and went back to military escalation in Hodeidah. “All efforts to implement the Swedish agreement have stumbled because of the enemies desire to evaide the agreement. If they return to their military escalation in Hodeidah, we have options to respond, which I do not like to talk about right now,”.

Added that the battle today is to conquer the Yemeni people and to divide their word. “The various headlines given by the enemy to the battle in Yemen are void, and the battle is to enable foreigners to control our people”.