GCC talks in New York focus on boosting Yemen relief

The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) hosted the second meeting of the donor coordination group on Yemen, on the sidelines of the ongoing 72nd session of the UN General Assembly in New York, to coordinate the joint efforts of major donors supporting Yemen.
A GCC spokesman said that the meeting was held on Monday on the sidelines of the General Assembly session to coordinate the joint efforts of major donors supporting Yemen on the humanitarian side.
The meeting discussed the humanitarian situation in Yemen and obstacles faced in delivering aid.
The talks also focused on mobilizing the efforts of all donors and the international community to provide more humanitarian support to the people of Yemen.
It also discussed the latest political, economic and humanitarian developments in Yemen and the GCC’s efforts in helping Yemen to overcome the crisis.
Meanwhile, a statement issued by the GCC said that the Gulf states had provided generous assistance, the most recent amounting to $450 million announced at the Geneva Conference on April 25, 2017 to support the UN response plan totaling $2.1 billion.
Saudi Arabia provided $250 million; the UAE provided $100 million; and Kuwait $100 million, it said.
Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed, UN special envoy to Yemen, who attended the meeting, commended the GCC states for their contributions to help the Yemeni people.
Moreover, Abdul Aziz Hamad Aluwaisheg, GCC assistant secretary-general for political affairs and negotiations, met with Abdulmalek Al-Makhlafi, Yemen’s deputy prime minister and minister of foreign affairs, on the sidelines of the General Assembly session.
During the meeting, he stressed the GCC’s stance of supporting the legitimate government of President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi, and supporting all efforts led by UN and its special envoy for Yemen to end the crisis in the country through a political solution based on the Gulf initiative and its executive mechanism, outcomes of the comprehensive political dialogue, and Security Council Resolution 2216.
At the end of the meeting, Al-Makhlafi praised all efforts exerted by the GCC to strengthen the legitimate goverment of President Hadi in Yemen.