Islamic Relief will pledge to spend $7.6m to help the people of Yemen – and will also issue a rallying call for the international community to expand the ceasefire and seek a political solution to the humanitarian crisis.
Addressing a high-profile pledging event for Yemen being held in Geneva, Islamic Relief CEO Naser Haghamed spoke movingly about what has become the worst humanitarian crisis in the world today.
“For the last four years, the people of Yemen have been subjected to a brutal cycle of violence, displacement, starvation, and death,” he told during the event in Geneva, which is hosted by the United Nations and the governments of Switzerland and Sweden.
“Almost all vital services and the economy have completely collapsed. Accessing even basic food staples like flour has become an unaffordable luxury for millions of people.
Two-thirds of Yemen’s districts are at risk of famine, and some 15 million people are at risk of starvation.
To address this huge and unrelenting need, Islamic Relief will commit to spending $7.6million of the money donated to us by families worldwide to help the people of Yemen.
But sadly this is only a fraction of what is needed with the UN calling on the international community to provide $4 billion worth of aid to Yemen in 2019.
“I call on all of you to do whatever you can to expand the fragile ceasefire throughout Yemen, do whatever is needed to ensure it is enforced and come together to seek a lasting political solution that will give the people of Yemen hope and dignity once again,” said Mr. Haghamed.
With more than 75 percent of Yemen’s population – some 24 million people – in need of humanitarian assistance, Islamic Relief is on the ground in the conflict-torn country.
Original source: Islamic Relief
Published on 26 February 2019
