$4.3 billion of donor funds to Yemen going to the UN staff: Report

The United Nations and the humanitarian community in Geneva will launch on 27 February, the Yemen Humanitarian Response Plan for the current year (2023), seeking to raise $4.3 billion to assist the 17.3 million most vulnerable people who need humanitarian support as a result of protracted conflict, displacement and economic decline, exacerbated by frequent natural disasters.

Two-thirds of Yemen's population, or 21.6 million people, will need humanitarian aid and protection services this year, in light of the war that broke out in late March 2015.

Despite the huge funds required by the annual humanitarian response plan and the pledges announced by donors during the past years, the large financing gap remains the biggest problem facing humanitarian work in Yemen, as at the end of each plan, donors provide only half of the required funding.

A wide segment of Yemenis believes that despite spending billions of dollars annually on the implementation of the UN plan, it does not seem to have a positive impact, either on the humanitarian or economic side, as Yemen remains the largest humanitarian crisis in the world with increasing rates of poverty, unemployment and deteriorating social services.

Observers believe that a large part of the funds collected for spending on humanitarian work in the sectors of health, protection, food security, agriculture, water, sanitation, hygiene, nutrition, education, shelter, and the needs of the displaced, refugees and migrants, goes to cover large wages and salaries, transportation, trips and operating expenses for United Nations staff, organizations and offices.

Yemenis, especially in areas controlled by the Houthis, complain about the diversion of humanitarian and food aid to those who do not deserve it, and the interference of local organizations affiliated with them in the relief process and its distribution through specific names or fake lists, so that the aid eventually finds its way to be sold on the black market.

The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs in Yemen expects that humanitarian needs will remain constant in 2023 and that the resilience of the vulnerable population will decrease as a result of the continuous collapse of basic services and the fragility of the Yemeni economy due to macroeconomic instability and the deterioration of the Yemeni riyal.

It stresses the importance of "working closely with development partners to prevent a broader collapse of basic services and economic conditions that would further exacerbate the dire humanitarian situation."

The United Nations Office said in a report that Yemen is currently "not witnessing large-scale military attacks, nor is it benefiting from an official peace during the armistice that lasted from April 2 to October 2".

"At the same time, the number of victims of landmines and explosive remnants of war, including unexploded ordnance, has increased by 160%, and basic services and the economy have continued to deteriorate... the cost of the minimum household expenditure basket has increased by more than 50% within one year". The report added.

After more than eight years of conflict, millions of people in Yemen are suffering from the complex effects of violence, an ongoing economic crisis and severe funding shortages, resulting in high levels of food insecurity and lack of access to basic services.

In the absence of a comprehensive political settlement, it is expected that the ongoing displacement, the economic situation, and the inability of state institutions will remain a major driver of needs. An estimated 4.5 million people, or 14% of the population, are currently displaced, most of whom have been displaced multiple times over a number of years.

Many of the most vulnerable IDPs live in areas prone to flooding or inadequate shelters, putting them at risk of increased needs and displacement. With protracted displacement continuing, even with low rates of new displacement, Yemen remains among the six largest IDPs in the world.

The report said that the arrival of humanitarian aid in Yemen "remains a challenge, as most access incidents are driven by bureaucratic obstacles, especially delays in movement".

In his last briefing to the UN Security Council, the United Nations Humanitarian Coordinator Martin Griffiths said that the number of people in need of humanitarian assistance and protection services across Yemen during 2023 will reach 21.6 million people.

"The number, despite its size, does not convey the reality of the suffering of Yemenis, speaking of the impossible choices that parents are forced to take to secure food for their children". He added.

Griffiths urged the international community to continue helping the Yemeni people by supporting the new humanitarian appeal and narrowing funding gaps for life-saving programms.

He stressed that humanitarian agencies and organizations will continue their work to enhance relief operations, including doubling communication with all parties to the conflict to remove obstacles, and strengthening monitoring and accountability mechanisms.

Griffiths, who previously assumed the mission of the UN envoy to Yemen, spoke about the obstacles that impede the delivery of aid to Yemen. He said that last year there were about 10 related incidents per day.

Griffiths was particularly concerned about the strict imposition of the "Maharam", especially in areas under Houthi control. He said that this restriction prevents Yemeni aid workers from moving and traveling without a male relative, inside and outside Yemen.

He added that this undermines the work of aid workers and limits the social and economic participation of women workers in the humanitarian field, as well as hinders the effective delivery of assistance to those in need.

Despite the constant communication with the Houthis and their pledge to find solutions, Griffiths said that he has not witnessed any tangible change, but on the contrary, the situation has become entrenched and spread.