WFP decision to axe aid dictated by the US: Sanaa
A member of Yemen's Supreme Political Council voices his concerns, asserting that the United Nations aid has proven ineffective in addressing the dire humanitarian crisis in Yemen.
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A file picture shows Mohammed Ali al-Houthi delivering a speech during a protest in Sanaa (AFP)
Member of the Supreme Political Council Mohammed Ali al-Houthi discussed, on Monday, with Corinne Fleischer, the Regional Director of the World Food Programme in the Middle East and North Africa, the repercussions of the decision by the World Food Programme to cut down humanitarian aid to Yemen.
Al-Houthi stated that the United Nations mechanism has proven ineffective in dealing with the humanitarian crisis in Yemen, which is considered one of the worst humanitarian crises in the world.
He emphasized that the decision to reduce aid to Yemen came under US diktats, at a time when Yemen continued to suffer under aggression and blockade for the past nine years.
Al-Houthi held the US-Saudi-led coalition fully responsible for all the humanitarian crises that Yemen is facing.
It's worth mentioning that the government in Sanaa accused the United Nations' World Food Programme of reducing its humanitarian aid under US diktats, exacerbating the already harsh living conditions of Yemenis.
As the war and siege on #Yemen continues, children are facing an increased risk of infection, prompting the #WHO to work alongside the #Yemeni Ministry of Public Health and Population and partners to increase support for routine vaccination interventions.#WarOnYemen #measles pic.twitter.com/nZ8twghhOf
— Al Mayadeen English (@MayadeenEnglish) September 4, 2023
According to Yemen's Al-Masirah channel, citing anonymous sources, the World Food Programme requested the official authorities in Sanaa to sign its recent decision to reduce aid to Yemen, but this request was met with rejection due to suspicions of hidden agendas, including misleading the beneficiaries about the reasons behind the aid reduction.
On August 18 last year, the World Food Programme announced its urgent need for $1.05 billion to finance its humanitarian operations in Yemen for the next six months, confirming that only 28% of it had been secured. It warned that more than 4 million Yemenis would be affected if the program reduced its aid starting from the end of September, due to a lack of necessary funding.
It is worth noting that more than 17 million people in Yemen suffer from food insecurity out of a total population of approximately 30 million, according to the World Food Programme. Additionally, one million women and 2.2 million children under the age of five require treatment due to acute malnutrition.
