Donor coordination group for Yemeni people concludes meeting

The Secretariat-General of the Cooperation council for the Arab States of the Gulf participated in a meeting of the Donors Coordination Group on the humanitarian side of the Republic of Yemen which was concluded yesterday in Brussels. The meeting was hosted by the EU, the co-chair of the Group, beside the GCC Secretariat and the UN.

The meeting discussed the developments of the humanitarian situation in Yemen and the obstacles impeding delivery of aids to all Yemeni governorates and the difficulties facing the relief organisations and how to overcome them.
Dr. Aluwaisheg, the GCC Assistant Secretary General for Political and Negotiations Affairs, briefed the meeting about the humanitarian and development aids delivered from the GCC States to the Republic of Yemen through the GCC organisations and the UN organisations over the past ten years, which accounted for over $15 billion. He also clarified the obstacles posed by the Houthi militias to prevent delivery of assistance to the areas falling under their control and to use such assistance for supporting their war against the Yemeni Government.
Dr. Aluwaisheg further stated that the GCC humanitarian aids since 2003 accounted for over $3 billion, of which $848 billion were allocated for supporting the humanitarian general programs and $963 billion for direct humanitarian assistance and relief in emergencies, in addition to $582 billion for supporting the health sector. Humanitarian pledges by the GCC donors during 2017 exceeded $455 billion. He also highlighted the role which those aids have contributed to stop proliferation of the Cholera epidemic in Yemen.
Dr. Aluwaisheg informed the meeting about the volume of the development aids submitted by the GCC States to the Republic of Yemen since 2006, which accounted for over $11,6 billion including the bilateral development aids from the GCC States to Yemen that totaled over $9,5 billion, of which over $2,69 billion were allocated for the health sector and $1,3 billion for support of the general assistance programs in Yemen.
The GCC Assistant Secretary General recalled the GCC relief efforts in Yemen and the coordination of the humanitarian efforts among the members of the of the donors and the UN organisations concerned with the humanitarian side, indicating that the GCC States host over two million residents of the Yemeni people whose annual remittance to their families are estimated at $6 billion.
The GCC Assistant Secretary General reiterated the need for the United Nations to take necessary actions to prevent the use of Hodeida seaport for smuggling arms to the Houthis in an apparent breach of the UNSC Resolution 2216.

Source: BNA