At a Virtual High-Level Pledging Event on the Humanitarian Crisis in Yemen, which took place today, international donors pledged to give around $1.2 billion. However, the UN's estimate for the country's needs is $4.3 billion. In response, Ferran Puig, Oxfam’s Country Director in Yemen, said:
"The money pledged today is nowhere near enough. The world must not look away while Yemen faces a humanitarian crisis - the consequence of doing so will be tragic. Currently 17 million people are going hungry and at risk of becoming acutely malnourished. The struggle we see people endure every day is heart-breaking and many Yemenis are likely to die unless the funds needed are donated.
"The international community also needs to urgently push the warring parties towards a negotiated peace. Eight years of war have destroyed Yemen’s economy creating ripples of misery for everyone. Those who were previously secure and able to provide for themselves and their families can no longer do so. There is a food crisis, a currency crisis and a health crisis – the country is already on life support."