Al Suhaily said that the situation in Yemen is on the verge of disaster as the conflict continues, and humanitarian funding declines, threatening to reduce food aid to millions of hungry families.

“Fuel and food prices have recently more than doubled in most parts of Yemen, particularly wheat in the wheat-importing country. Eight million people, receiving monthly food aid, are at risk of famine and malnutrition.”

He stressed that the humanitarian response has helped provide basic needs such as water, food, health services and camps to families displaced from their homes or living in villages and towns destroyed by the war. However, severe funding shortfalls threaten to stop or reduce humanitarian assistance and services, including food, leaving millions of families to live in an unimaginable level of poverty.

The Donor’s Conference for Yemen, scheduled for this March, is seen as a "Last Chance" to stop the country's collapse and avoid famine. And if the International Community, Donors and Governments stand humanitarianly at the Conference to support Yemen and provide adequate funding, children, women and men will suffer worse."

The Chairman of TYF also called for building active partnerships with civil society organizations in Yemen, localizing humanitarian aid in Yemen, in accordance with the commitments of the "Grand Bargain" and the "Charter for Change," and linking humanitarian action, development and peace.

“As we respond to urgent and immediate needs in Yemen, we must work equally to address development emergencies, support economic recovery initiatives, rehabilitate and build vital community infrastructure. Development-focused responses are not only critical now, but have proved useful.” 

Erin Hutchinson, Norwegian Refugee Council's Country Director in Yemen, also briefed on behalf of international NGOs working in Yemen, noting that millions of the most vulnerable families in Yemen are desperate because of the ongoing conflict and the high cost of living.

"We need more humanitarian support to help them urgently," she said. Governments, donors and international financial institutions need to provide an economic rescue package to reduce the worsening of the crisis and the suffering of Yemenis.

Subsequently, the discussion was opened with representatives of the G12, who unanimously agreed to support Yemen in addressing the growing humanitarian needs and continuing to mobilize efforts to address the humanitarian crisis facing civilians.