The Ambassador and permanent representative of Ghana of the A3 (Gabon, Ghana, Mozambique), Harold Adlai Agyeman has called on the international community to support in bridging the funding gap needed to effectively address the humanitarian crisis in Yemen.
He made this call at a briefing and consultation meeting on the Middle East (Yemen) at the UN Security Council Chamber in New York on Monday.
According to him, the clarion call was a necessity revealing that recent marginal progress on the humanitarian front, needs still remain high, with majority of the population still requiring assistance.
“We are saddened that access constraints still persist and continue to be a major impediment to efficient and effective aid delivery in Yemen in spite of the dire humanitarian needs of the people,” he stated.
He stressed that every effort must be made to support Yemen’s weak economy to create viable opportunities to improve the socioeconomic condition and reduce the country’s dependence on external humanitarian support.
“We renew our appeal to the international community to dovetail support for the country’s economy into every effort aimed at alleviating the suffering of the Yemeni people,” he stated.
The Ambassador further called for effective international and local collaboration to comprehensively ensure civilian safety in Yemen.
“The risk posed by landmines and explosive remnants of war in Yemen must be tackled head-on to bring down the number of casualties associated with the menace and increase economic productivity as semblance of normalcy returns to the country,” he emphasised.
The eight-year-old conflict in Yemen is between the internationally recognized government, which is backed by a Saudi-led military coalition, and Houthi rebels supported by Iran.
The country’s humanitarian crisis is said to be among the worst in the world, due to widespread hunger, disease, and attacks on civilians.
Tensions eased and humanitarian conditions improved with a UN-mediated cease-fire in 2022, but the combatants failed to renew the deal after six months.
Dzifa Hukporti, ISD
