U.S. Provides Additional Humanitarian Assistance to Yemen
5/6/2012
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Source: USAID
The United States is providing an
additional $6.5 million in humanitarian assistance to help those most in need in
Yemen. This new assistance brings the total U.S. Government humanitarian
assistance to nearly $80 million in Fiscal Year 2012. This assistance includes
protection, water and sanitation, emergency food aid, basic health services,
and medical and other relief supplies to help over 550,000 internally displaced
persons, over 215,000 refugees and migrants from the Horn of Africa, conflict
victims, and other vulnerable populations.
"Almost
half the population in Yemen is not getting enough to eat, and nearly 1 million
children under the age of five are acutely malnourished, which increases their
vulnerability to a range of illness and preventable disease," said Nancy
Lindborg, Assistant Administrator for Democracy, Conflict and Humanitarian
Assistance at the U.S. Agency for International Development. "This
additional assistance from the U.S. will provide clean water, proper
sanitation, and hygiene education and materials to help prevent the spread of
illness."
Assistant Administrator Lindborg
visited Sana'a June 1-3, 2012. During her visit, she also participated in the
joint delegation of international donors and organizations including the
Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), the Gulf Cooperation Council, the
European Union, the League of Arab States, and the UN Office for the
Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. This joint delegation trip puts into
action the historic cooperation agreement on humanitarian issues and disaster response
signed by the OIC and USAID on March 15, 2012 at the White House. Ms. Lindborg
stated, "Especially now, at this pivotal time for the region, the
international community must come together to help the people of Yemen build a
foundation for longer-term development towards a unified, stable, democratic,
and prosperous country worthy of their struggle."
Lindborg visited a therapeutic
feeding center for malnourished children at a hospital in Sana'a, met with
Yemeni government officials, including President Hadi, several ministers, and
the National Dialogue Liaison Committee, as well as groups of humanitarian
organization representatives and civil society activists. In all of her
meetings, she reiterated U.S. commitment to supporting Yemen's transition through
humanitarian aid as well as development and economic support.
The United States provided $115
million in civilian assistance to Yemen in FY 2011 and plans to provide at
least $118 million in FY 2012.
