DUBAI (Reuters) - The United Nations will on Monday ask donors under pressure from global crises to provide $4.3 billion to finance this year's aid plan for Yemen, which is witnessing one of the world's largest humanitarian disasters, despite a state of no peace and no war that has frozen fighting to an extent. big.
Funding shortages have led agencies to scale back plans to support Yemen, including food rations, over the past two years. United Nations data shows that last year donors pumped $2.2 billion out of a total of $4.27 billion requested by the organization.
"Record global humanitarian needs are straining donor support like never before, but without continued support for the aid operation in Yemen, the lives of millions of Yemenis will be at stake," a statement issued by the United Nations said.
Sweden and Switzerland will jointly host the high-level event. For the world as a whole, the United Nations says it needs a record $51.5 billion in aid this year.
A Saudi-led military coalition has been waging a conflict in Yemen for eight years against the Iran-aligned Houthi group, which toppled the internationally recognized Yemeni government from the capital, Sanaa, in late 2014.
The war claimed tens of thousands of lives, destroyed the infrastructure and the economy, and made more than 21 million people, representing two-thirds of the population, in need of aid.
A U.N.-brokered truce, first agreed in April, has led to the longest period of relative calm and is largely holding, even though it expired in October with no agreement between the warring parties to extend it.
The United Nations World Food Program announced that the number of people living in famine-like conditions fell from 161,000 to zero last year, but warned of the possibility of a setback to this achievement.
"We are hearing reports of increasing food insecurity," said Richard Ragan, WFP's country director for Yemen.
WFP, which provides food to about 13 million people in Yemen and is seeking $2.9 billion in funding this year, said a lack of funding had led it to scale back most of its activities. Since June, five million people have received half of their daily needs, while eight million have received a quarter of their needs.
"Ultimately, ending the conflict is the only way to end this humanitarian catastrophe," said Jared Rowell, the International Rescue Committee's country director for Yemen. "The temporary ceasefire has proven that civilian suffering can be reduced."
Saudi Arabia and the Houthis are participating in direct talks mediated by the Sultanate of Oman, in parallel with the efforts of the United Nations to reach a formal ceasefire and launch comprehensive political negotiations.
UN data shows that the United States, Saudi Arabia, Germany and the European Union were the four biggest donors last year.