Amid political change, Yemen still needs donors to alleviate crisis

ADEN -- With the swearing into office of Yemen's new eight-man leadership council on April 19, many hope to see an end to the protracted war instigated by the Iran-backed Houthis and a resolution to the country's humanitarian crisis.

As a two-month truce brokered at the beginning of Ramadan by the United Nations (UN) continues to hold, top UN officials stressed the importance of ongoing efforts to end the war.

In an April 16 statement, UN emergency relief co-ordinator Martin Griffiths said "a brighter future" now looks within reach for Yemen.

The truce is already alleviating humanitarian conditions, he said, while hostilities have decreased and civilian casualties have dropped to the lowest reported level in months.

The new leadership council, and the announcement of a $3 billion economic aid package during consultations convened by the Gulf Co-operation Council (GCC), have further set Yemen on a positive course, he said.

The package includes a $2 billion deposit into Yemen's Central Bank to help stabilise the economy, an "extremely welcome" move that has prompted the riyal to bounce back, Griffiths said.

This means food and other goods will soon become more affordable, he said.

Yet the situation in Yemen remains alarming, aid agencies say, and funding still falls far short of the UN's stated goal, nearly $4 billion, for its 2022 humanitarian response plan, with just $1.3 billion raised to date.

Eyes on the Houthis

As the political landscape changes in the pro-government camp, many in Yemen are looking to the Houthis to make some changes as well to bring the country closer to peace and end the suffering of the Yemeni people.

Many blame the Iran-backed group for the burgeoning humanitarian crisis, pointing out that the group's 2014 coup in Sanaa triggered a war that has killed more than 150,000 people.

Over 200,000 Yemenis have died indirectly as a result of the war, including through hunger, unsafe water and disease, UN agencies estimate, and a full 80% of the 30 million population is dependent on aid.

"The ongoing humanitarian crisis is due to the continued war which was waged by Iran's allies in the region: the Houthis," Yemeni Deputy Minister of Justice Faisal al-Majeedi told Al-Mashareq.

The Houthis have further contributed to the humanitarian crisis by tampering with aid intended for the civilian population, he said, citing past reports from various international organisations operating in Yemen.

Political analyst Adel al-Shujaa pointed out that the political crisis in Yemen led to the humanitarian crisis. For the latter to end, he said, the political crisis must be resolved.

"Yemen has the necessary capabilities to enable it to overcome poverty," he said. "But the war has disrupted development and all exports, including oil and gas."

Serious efforts must be exerted to resolve the political crisis and stop the war, in order to end the suffering of Yemenis, he said.

'Dangerous situation'

According to the UN Office for the Co-ordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), hunger in Yemen has reached alarming levels and is expected to worsen.

The OCHA statement "reminded the international community how dangerous the humanitarian situation in Yemen is", said political analyst Faris al-Najjar

"The World Bank already has warned of famine in many provinces, including Hajjah, al-Hodeidah and Saada," he said.

"There also have been other reports that warned of acute food insecurity, with six million Yemenis already in Phase 3 of food insecurity," he noted.

Humanitarian organisations that are working to address the humanitarian crisis in Yemen include Kuwait's Humanitarian Relief Society, Emirates Red Crescent, King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Centre (KSRelief), and the Saudi Development and Reconstruction Programme for Yemen (SDRPY).

But some international organisations based in Houthi-controlled Sanaa have had trouble carrying out their operations, al-Najjar said.