New Zealand is providing a further $3 million in humanitarian funding to Yemen.

Three years after the escalation of the conflict, Yemeni people continue to bear the brunt of ongoing hostilities and severe economic decline and the humanitarian crisis remains extremely widespread.

Three million dollars has been directed to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).

The ICRC is providing critical food assistance for 840,000 people, emergency medical assistance supporting 12 hospitals, 35 health centres and eight dialysis centres, and securing the water supply for over 3 million Yemenis.

Yemen is currently the world’s worst humanitarian crisis. Over 20 million people (three-quarters of the population) require some form of humanitarian assistance, including 9 million who are in critical need.

Over half the population are struggling to access food and a quarter are reliant on international food assistance for their survival. Two million people are displaced by ongoing conflict and violence.

As the conflict continues and food security situation further deteriorates, the United Nations is warning that a further 3.2 million people are likely be in critical need by the end the year.

New Zealand hopes to see a reduction in violence and resumption of peace talks as a matter of urgency, and supports the work of the UN Secretary General’s Special Envoy for Yemen to encourage a peaceful political solution to the conflict.

This contribution brings New Zealand’s total humanitarian assistance to Yemen to $8.5 million since March 2017.