Statement on behalf of the Humanitarian Coordinator for Yemen on World Humanitarian Day
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(Sana’a, 19 August 2015): Every year on 19 August, we mark World Humanitarian Day and we pay tribute to the world’s humanitarians – unsung heroes, men and women, who despite the risks, work tirelessly to save the lives of others on the front lines of conflict and natural disasters.
In the last four months, Yemen has seen unspeakable tragedy. Schools, hospitals, markets, homes, ports, factories, warehouses have all been damaged or destroyed by the escalating conflict. These acts defy international humanitarian law and the responsibility of all parties to the conflict to ensure the protection of civilians and of civilian infrastructure. Millions of lives have been shattered as over 1.4 million people have fled their homes in search of safety. More than 27,000 casualties have been recorded, including over 4,400 deaths.
We are witness to a humanitarian catastrophe in Yemen. Four months after the escalation of hostilities over 21 million Yemenis - a staggering 80 per cent of the population - are in need of humanitarian assistance.
In their courageous quest to assist those in need, five humanitarian workers have been killed since March while distributing humanitarian assistance and protection to those in need.
Today, we not only honor all those humanitarians killed in Yemen and around the world, but we also honor all those humanitarians in Yemen who continue to work night and day, despite the tremendous challenges, to alleviate suffering and who remind the world of the most noble parts of our humanity. We celebrate the spirit that inspires humanitarian work in Yemen and around the world, and we pay tribute to the bravery and commitment of humanitarian workers.
In the spirit of this year’s World Humanitarian Day, we invite everyone to be more generous in spirit and deed and to join humanitarians by taking actions to help those in need, wherever they may be.
In these trying times in Yemen there is an urgent need to strengthen a sense of responsibility around this conflict. I therefore appeal to all parties of the conflict to protect civilians and civilian infrastructure, to allow humanitarians to safely reach those in need, and to actively work to find a political solution to the conflict in Yemen.