21/05/2012  - 

The European Commission is boosting its humanitarian aid to Yemen by €5 million in response to a rapidly developing food crisis. Malnutrition rates in parts of the country are among the highest in the world. The crisis is made more complex by economic deterioration, new population displacements and the arrival of new refugees from the Horn of Africa.

‘The crisis in Yemen has gone from bad to desperate,’ said Commissioner Kristalina Georgieva. ‘We are increasing our aid not just because we must prevent malnutrition from growing, but also because hunger and suffering can only destabilise Yemen further. Its people desperately need international support to rebuild their lives and their country. We cannot fail them. Ignoring this would bear tremendous risks for the region and the world.’

The new funds will help 200 000 people. The European Commission has already mobilised €20 million in humanitarian aid in Yemen this year. It is funding healthcare and shelter projects, improving refugee camps and providing basic household items to displaced Yemenis and refugees from the Horn of Africa.

On 23 May Commissioner Georgieva will attend the Friends of Yemen meeting in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, where she will join international leaders in charting a path out of poverty.