Media Advisory - Pledging event for the humanitarian crisis in Yemen [EN/AR]

WHO: Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the United Nations

WHAT: High-level, virtual pledging event for the humanitarian crisis in Yemen.

WHEN: 2 June 2020 at 9 a.m. ET / 3 p.m. CET / 4 p.m. Riyadh**. **A question and answer session for media is scheduled at 1.10 p.m. ET / 7.10 p.m. CET / 8.10 p.m. Riyadh.

WHERE: Virtual event co-hosted by the Government of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in Riyadh and the UN Headquarters in New York. The event is webcast on http://webtv.un.org and https://ksrelief.org/live.

International donors and aid organizations will convene virtually on 2 June to raise awareness about the humanitarian crisis in Yemen and announce pledges to address the dire needs in the country.

Twenty-four million people – 80 per cent of the population – need aid and protection in Yemen. The humanitarian operation assists more than 10 million people every month. However, without additional funds, life-saving programmes will soon be forced to reduce or close in the world’s largest humanitarian crisis.

The event is co-hosted by His Highness Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and Mark Lowcock, Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator. UN Secretary-General António Guterres will address the opening.

The media question and answer session will be with H.E. Dr. Abdullah Al Rabeeah, Advisor to the Royal Court and Supervisor General, King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Centre, and USG/ERC Mark Lowcock. The media session will be moderated by Melissa Fleming, Under-Secretary-General for Global Communications at the UN.

Media questions can be submitted in advance and up till two hours before the closing of the event on WhatsApp and by email. Please send your name, outlet and brief question:

In English: Jens Laerke, laerke@un.org, WhatsApp +41 79 472 9750

In Arabic: Hayat Abu-Saleh, abusaleh@un.org, WhatsApp +1 917 224 9751