Eri Kaneko, associate spokesperson for the UN Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres on Tuesday called on international donors to fulfil financial pledges they made to help ease the suffering of people living in Yemen.

This comes as the official warned the coronavirus pandemic “has completely destroyed Yemen”.

The situation in Yemen has never been so dangerous, and now is not the time to reduce international support.

Kaneno said earlier this month international donors had pledged $1.35 billion in humanitarian aid to Yemen which is roughly half of what the UN received last year, but most of that money has not yet been paid.

According to the UN official, the salaries of 10,000 health workers who are helping to fight the pandemic on the front lines have already stopped, with the world asking them to risk their lives for free. Many, it added, do not have the necessary PPE.

“By the end of June, humanitarian organizations will have to cut services that provide clean water for nearly 6 million people – nearly half of them are children, and many other programs remain at risk, including more health care and nutrition services,” she added.