Russia and the United States will be invited to a pledging conference that seeks to address the humanitarian crisis in Yemen, King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center Supervisor General Abdullah Alrabeeah said.

Russia is a friend, a friendly country. We have historical ties with Russia, so we welcome Russia to join and pledge. We welcome all - the United States, European Union, United Kingdom, Gulf Cooperation Council countries and any country that wants to help Yemen, we welcome them to come and pledge", Alrabeeah, who is also an adviser to the Royal Court, said.

On 2 April, Saudi Arabia and the United Nations will host a high-level pledging conference to address the humanitarian crisis in Yemen.

"Saudi Arabia, based on the request of his majesty King Salman, the custodian of the two holy mosques, is hosting the upcoming pledging conference for Yemen 2020. Our expectation is that the entire donor community will attend this pledging conference", Alrabeeah said.

Alrabeeah said Saudi Arabia has been the top donor for Yemen in the last several years and expressed hope the donor community will be generous in its support for the war-torn country.

"We all know that the humanitarian crisis in Yemen is huge and the country needs a great deal of support. So, our expectations and hope are that all of the donor countries will join us in this", Alrabeeah said.

Yemen has been facing a severe humanitarian crisis since 2015, caused by the ongoing military conflict between the government headed by President Abdrabbuh Mansour Hadi and the Houthi rebel movement, which controls the country’s north, including the capital of Sanaa.