Statement by First Deputy Permanent Representative Dmitry Polyanskiy at the High-level pledging event for the humanitarian crisis in Yemen
Excellencies,
Distinguished ladies and gentlemen,
We thank the organizers for the timely event. Humanitarian catastrophe, which long-suffering population of Yemen is facing, reached unprecedented scale. The mere existence of such a crisis in the 21st century is a reason for grave concern. The acute military-political crisis in this Arab country, which is in its sixth year now, must be resolved as soon as possible. We are compelled to state with regret that the logic of armed confrontation still prevails. Of particular concern is the situation in Marib, where bloody clashes resumed earlier this February, as a result of which more than 8 thousand people were forced to leave their homes.
At the same time we welcome the new government of the Republic of Yemen with representatives of the southern regions of the country having a significant part of the ministerial portfolios for the first time. It is an important step towards the practical implementation of the Riyadh agreement of November 5, 2019 on the normalization of situation in the South of Yemen. We are convinced that this step can lead to enhanced public safety and will allow us to focus on solving acute socio-economic and humanitarian problems in this part of the country.
Distinguished colleagues,
Yemen’s huge humanitarian challenges require urgent solutions. Large-scale assistance from the international community is needed to combat the wide spread of famine and diseases, including coronavirus. In this regard increasing necessary financial assistance to the UN programs to provide basic assistance, including ensuring food security of the population, access to clean water and medical services would be a natural and timely response from international community, including countries of the region. We consider the provision of assistance on a non-discriminatory basis to the entire population of the country to be a key factor in addressing the humanitarian disaster in Yemen. We call for the abandonment of those unilateral steps both inside and outside Yemen, which complicate the work of humanitarian workers.
I thank you.
