Emergency Relief Coordinator thanks Saudi Arabia for $500 million for United Nations agencies in Yemen

New York- Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator Mark Lowcock today thanked the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for $500 million in funding to the United Nations for the 2019 Yemen Humanitarian Response Plan.

“I wish to thank Saudi Arabia for their generous contribution. This money will allow United Nations agencies to save millions of lives in Yemen,” said Mr. Lowcock.

“My office will now organize the transfer of these funds to the World Food Programme, the World Health Organization, UNICEF, the International Organization for Migration, UNHCR, the United Nations Development Programme, and the Food and Agriculture Organization,” he continued. “These agencies will use the funds to support essential priorities in the Yemen Humanitarian Response Plan.”

“This funding is very good news for millions of Yemenis across the country who need assistance. Receiving the money as a single block grant also gives greater flexibility to aid agencies, and I am pleased to see this approach repeated after last year’s success,” said Mr. Lowcock.

At a signing ceremony today in New York, Supervisor-General of the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center (KSRelief), Dr Abdullah Al-Rabeeah, presented the United Nations with a cheque for $500 million.

Mr. Lowcock explained the importance of the UN’s partnership with KSRelief to ensure the efficient and effective implementation of the aid operation.

Flexible grant terms governing contributions last year played a key role in allowing UN agencies to scale up rapidly to meet growing needs. This approach was essential to preventing widespread famine and rolling back the world’s worst-ever cholera epidemic. It was also cited as a global best practice in humanitarian donorship.

“With today’s provision of funds from Saudi Arabia, the Yemen Humanitarian Response Plan will have received more than $2.3 billion, or 56 per cent of its requirements for the year,” noted Mr. Lowcock. “This is substantial progress, and we thank all our donors for their support. But we still have more to do, and I call on all our partners in the region and beyond to do everything they can to ensure the Yemen response plan is fully funded.”

For further details, please contact:

Russell Geekie, +1 917 331 0393, geekie@un.org

Hayat Abu-Saleh, + 917 224 9751, abusaleh@un.org