UN seeks US$4.27 billion in appeal for war-ravaged Yemen

The United Nations is appealing for US$4.27 billion for Yemen, the Arab world's poorest country, with 161,000 people likely to experience famine there in 2022.

The virtual pledging conference is co-hosted by Sweden and Switzerland to alleviate what the UN says is the word's worst humanitarian crisis.

“Two in three Yemenis - 20 million men, women and children -- live in extreme poverty,” Secretary-General Antonio Guterres told donors from New York. “Today, we must do everything we can to bridge immediate funding gaps and strengthen aid delivery. We cannot cut people adrift from humanitarian aid.”

The conference comes as world attention focuses on the war in Ukraine, which has overshadowed other humanitarian crises since the Russian invasion on Feb. 24 - raising concerns that that Yemen's plight may be forgotten. Over 3 million people have fled Ukraine, in Europe's largest exodus since World War II.

A prolonged conflict in Ukraine is likely to make it harder for Yemenis to meet their basic needs, as food prices, especially the cost of grain, are likely to increase. Yemen depends almost entirely on food imports, with 22 per cent of its wheat imports coming from Ukraine, according to the World Food Program.