EU approves over $87m humanitarian aid to Yemen

The European Commission yesterday pledged €79 million ($87.4 million) in aid to support Yemen, where the five-year-old conflict has created the world’s worst humanitarian crisis.

The package will help Yemeni communities sustain public services, such as health care and education, and will also stimulate the private sector, aiming to develop livelihood opportunities in a country where the economy has halted, reported New Europe.

IOM: 19.7m Yemenis lack basic health services

“Yemen is a country torn by conflict and ravaged by violence, but it is also a country full of resilience and entrepreneurship. In addition to the EU’s humanitarian assistance to the people of Yemen, investing in development is crucial,” said Neven Mimica, EU commissioner for international cooperation and development.

With the new support, the EU’s assistance to crisis-affected populations in Yemen amounts to €323 million (over $356 million) since 2015.

The conflict, since the joint Saudi and UAE-led coalition intervened in 2015, has claimed over 100,000 lives while another 14 million are at risk of starvation, according to the UN.

Yemen war death toll hits 100,000