The United Nations has commended the new funding provided by the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and the United States of America for its humanitarian programs in Yemen.
This came during a statement made by the Assistant Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator Ursula Mueller, the day before yesterday, before the meeting held by the UN Security Council on the developments in Yemen.
Ursula Mueller stressed that this new funding for the humanitarian response plan since last September has enabled UN agencies in Yemen to reopen their pending humanitarian assistance programs in the country.
She pointed out that this financial initiative by these donor countries, is an important positive step, which enabled the children of Yemen to get again regular vaccines, as well as health centers in Yemen to receive the necessary supplies, and contributed to the resumption of treatment centers and malnutrition, work. "With the Humanitarian Response Plan now funded by more than 70 percent, the aid operation in Yemen is in a much stronger financial position than it was several months ago," Mueller said. Mueller again accused Houthi militias of interfering in humanitarian operations directed at the Yemeni people, including attempts to influence the choice of beneficiaries or implementing partners.
She pointed out that the Houthis forced humanitarian partners in Yemen to work under conditions, if accepted, would contradict humanitarian principles, and certainly lead to the loss of funding, and the closure of planned humanitarian programs in Yemen. It also noted the alarming increase in violence and harassment by Houthi militias against humanitarian workers in the areas they control, particularly over the past three months. There were approximately 60 separate incidents of assaults, intimidation, detention and other ill-treatment of humanitarian personnel, in many cases, including the looting of relief supplies and the occupation of humanitarian workplaces, which disrupted the delivery of assistance and services. She stressed that while raising these serious issues directly, clearly and repeatedly with the Houthis, the humanitarian environment in northern Yemen remains very restrictive and reviewed some of the Houthi practices in Yemen, which violate international humanitarian law, including continuing to impose an increasing number of restrictive regulations on work. Systematic humanitarian assistance to millions of people. "Although partners are still able to provide assistance, doing so requires sustained engagement at all levels, often leading to unacceptable delays in reaching people in need," she said. "The Houthis are still blocking and delaying half of NGO projects in areas under their control, where needs assessment and monitoring are often banned, and in many cases they have forced UN and NGO staff out of Yemen for no reason."
"All types of humanitarian movements in the north, including the delivery of life-saving aid, are routinely banned, even when the movements are authorized, partners still face arbitrary rejection or delays at checkpoints," she said.
60 separate incidents of assaults, intimidation and detention by Houthis, and other ill-treatment of humanitarian personnel, including looting of relief supplies, occupation of humanitarian workplaces, and disruption of delivery of assistance and services.