Wednesday, May 6 2020
Office of Press Relations
Today, Secretary of State Michael R. Pompeo announced nearly $225 million in additional emergency aid to the people of Yemen, who continue to face the world’s largest humanitarian crisis. This funding brings the total humanitarian assistance provided by the U.S. Government in Yemen since Fiscal Year 2019 to more than $1.1 billion.
This assistance, provided by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), will fund the emergency food operation of the World Food Programme (WFP) in southern Yemen, as well as a reduced operation in northern Yemen, where Houthi obstruction forced the WFP to scale down in April 2020. USAID supports and commends the WFP for taking this difficult step in light of the Houthis’ ongoing interference, which violates globally accepted humanitarian principles. This additional U.S. assistance will enable the WFP to continue reaching more than eight million hungry people throughout Yemen each month.
The United States remains extremely concerned by the Houthis’ ongoing interference in aid operations, which prevents millions of people from receiving the assistance they need to survive. While this hindrance forced the U.S. Government, the WFP, and other organizations to suspend some aid programs in northern Yemen, the United States Government stands ready to support our partners wherever they are able to operate independently, and at levels that enable them to exercise adequate oversight over their programs. They must be able to work free from interference to ensure aid is reaching the people for whom it is intended. USAID’s priority remains delivering life-saving aid to the most vulnerable populations in Yemen.