Remarks of Yemen Foreign Minister Mohammed Al-Hadhrami
At the Virtual High-Level Side Event (UNGA 75th session)
Allow me at the outset to thank the Government of Sweden and the European Commission for Crisis Management for convening this timely event… and the panel for their remarks.
Yemen is indeed facing the world’s worst humanitarian crisis because of the greed of a few; a few who wanted power at any cost even if it is the lives and livelihoods of millions of Yemenis; a man-made humanitarian catastrophe that needs to be man-fixed. And to do that, we need your continued support and assistance.
There are many severe consequences of the acute food insecurity and the looming famine in Yemen, but the root cause is one-which is the protracted conflict that must end. And to end it, we must reach a peaceful political solution based on the UN-led peace process and references. However, this can only be realized, unfortunately, with a sustained military pressure on the Houthis until they decide to talk peace.
We support the great work of all UN programs and agencies and other international organization to address the humanitarian crisis in |Yemen. And we know that there are many challenges they face because of the intransigence of the Houthis… from the many restrictions imposed in the Houthis controlled areas to obstructing aid workers and interfering in their mandates in an attempt to steal and divert aid to their benefits. This, too, must end.
These restrictions have significantly increased in 2019 and 2020 and resulted in the diversion and looting of many many tons of vital humanitarian assistance and aid in a stark violation to all principles of humanitarian work.
In this context, we commend the measures taken by WFP to combat Houthi’s aid diversion through, for example, the introduction of a biometric registration system as part of the cash-based transfer assistance program, which remains to be implemented due to the Houthis continued obstruction.
Notwithstanding the importance of humanitarian work in Yemen, we simply cannot feed 30 million people with aid. Food access and availability per se. is not the major problem in Yemen’ it is rather affording it in the first place. That is why we need to incorporate other measures and bridge the gap between urgent humanitarian work on the one hand and vital development projects on the other.
- We have to underline the importance of the humanitarian and development nexus and its role in resilience building.
- We need to do more to support the Central Bank of Yemen by channeling, for instance, all aid funding through it so as to help in stopping the current currency devaluation which will be of great harm to Yemenis should it continues.
- We need more projects and initiatives like the WFP “Home Grown School Feeding initiative” and Healthy Kitchen, which not only feeds children in need but also boosts local farmers and economy.
- We need to decentralize the work of humanitarian and development programs in Yemen to prevent the Houthi’s manipulation and interference and to make their work more efficient.
- And we need to be more vocal in exposing all the Houthi’s attempts and unethical tactics to steal or divert needed aid and assistance provided to Yemenis.
To avert famine in Yemen, ladies and gentlemen, we must work together and work harder. And we in the Government assure you of our continued and full support to facilitate all the work of the UN and other humanitarian organizations.
An effective Humanitarian response can indeed help rescue Yemen from the grip of famine, but only a comprehensive and sustainable political solution can save it.
I thank you.