Today the UK Government pledged £87 million to support the UN’s response in Yemen. This figure is roughly half (54%) of what the UK pledged at last year’s event (£160 million) and only 40 percent of the total funding the UK provided in 2020 (£214 million).
Responding to the fall in the UK’s funding, Jean-Michel Grand, Executive Director of Action Against Hunger UK, said:
“We are shocked and appalled by the UK’s decision to slash aid to Yemen. The UK government has appointed a new Special Envoy on Famine Prevention and yet it has effectively halved its support for those most at risk. Diplomacy alone will not pay doctors salaries or provide life-saving malnutrition treatment for the countless children facing starvation.
“Yemen is on its knees. Only half of the hospitals are functioning, and an estimated five million people are just one step away from famine. The scale of the suffering is horrific and after six years of this catastrophic conflict, to hear that the UK is slashing its funding is utterly demoralising for our staff who continue to risk their lives in the face of insurmountable challenges.
“Now, more than ever, Yemen needs our support and I implore the UK government to rethink this disastrous decision.”
Notes
At last year’s pledging event, the UK government pledged £160 million. The pledge of £87 million is only 54 percent, roughly half, of what the government pledged last year.
In total, according to an FCDO press release, the UK government provided £214 million in support in 2020. This pledge is approximately 40 percent of the UK’s total support for Yemen in 2020.