Yemen Monitor/Newsroom:
Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, Tom Fletcher, stated that 2024 was a year of profound challenges for Yemen, marked by regional escalation, a worsening economic crisis, and increasing threats to the safety and security of UN and humanitarian personnel.
In his first address to the Security Council since assuming his role as the UN’s emergency relief coordinator, Tom Fletcher painted a grim picture of Yemen. He highlighted the escalating regional tensions, a spiraling economic crisis, and the growing dangers faced by humanitarian workers as key challenges.
He warned that child marriage has become a survival strategy for many Yemenis as the country grapples with a deepening humanitarian crisis.
The UN official also expressed concern about the widespread cholera outbreak affecting over 200,000 people and the displacement of more than half a million individuals due to severe flooding caused by climate change.
Amidst this dire situation, the UN’s top humanitarian official stated that severe underfunding for relief operations has forced the closure of critical programs, even as the total number of people in need in Yemen has risen from 18.2 million to 19.5 million since the beginning of the year.
Despite these challenges, he asserted that humanitarian workers, closely collaborating with local communities, have remained steadfast and provided a broad-based principled response to approximately 7.8 million individuals in 2024. He added, ‘We will stay and provide support to address humanitarian suffering wherever it is found, based solely on need.’
Fletcher urged the Security Council to leverage its influence to ensure full adherence to international humanitarian law, including guaranteeing the safety and security of UN and humanitarian personnel. He emphasized the importance of keeping Yemen’s Red Sea ports operational and accessible for imports, as they serve as a ‘lifeline for millions.’
Furthermore, he called upon the Council to fully support humanitarian funding to secure the $2.5 billion required to reach 10.5 million people across Yemen and to back Special Envoy Grundberg’s efforts in securing a lasting solution to the conflict in Yemen.
