Yemen: Even as global attention shifts, the world must not abandon Yemen

"Even as global attention shifts to other high-profile crises such as Ukraine, the world must not abandon the long-suffering people of Yemen," said Peter Maurer, the president of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).

 More than 16 million people in Yemen don't have enough food to eat. With the cost of fuel rising globally, and the with the escalation of the conflict in Ukraine likely to raise food prices, in particular the cost of grains, people in Yemen are likely to have even more difficulty finding enough to eat for their families.

The access to essential needs such as basic health care is also dangerously limited in several areas across the country, as funding shortages have forced humanitarian organizations to scale down aid, meaning fewer people are receiving the help they need.

"Today I want to stress that only political efforts will resolve this desperate humanitarian situation and therefore must be intensified as humanitarian agencies cannot be expected to care for millions, subsidize the state and keep the economy from collapsing," Mr Maurer said.

Parties to the conflict and those who support them must respect international humanitarian law and other relevant international laws. This safeguards civilian life and essential infrastructure, and it promotes a greater protection of humanitarian workers, ensuring they are able to work unimpeded, fulfilling their role in support of victims of armed conflict and violence.

The collective response of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement and the Yemen Red Crescent Society to the crisis in Yemen is one of our largest humanitarian operations worldwide. Our operations in Yemen remain focused on delivering a robust and multifaceted response to what remains a complex and ever-evolving crisis. Our 2022 budget of 134 million Swiss francs will be used to carry out much needed protection and prevention work, support access to health care and deliver emergency assistance particularly areas where other humanitarian actors are not working.