Under Secretary Hale’s Participation in the Ministerial on the Humanitarian Crisis in Yemen

SEPTEMBER 25, 2019

The below is attributable to Spokesperson Morgan Ortagus:

Today, the United States, Saudi Arabia, and UN OCHA co-hosted a multilateral conference on Yemen humanitarian assistance on the margins of the UN General Assembly in New York.  The conference addressed the humanitarian crisis in Yemen and encouraged donors to fully fund the 2019 UN Yemen Humanitarian Response Plan (HRP).  During the event, Saudi Foreign Minister Ibrahim Abdulazziz Al-Assaf finalized plans for Saudi Arabia’s disbursement of $500 million of the funds it pledged for Yemen humanitarian assistance.  Under Secretary for Political Affairs David Hale and USAID’s Assistant Administrator in the Bureau for Democracy, Conflict, and Humanitarian Assistance, Admiral Ziemer, represented the United States at the event.

The United States is one of the largest donors of humanitarian assistance to Yemen and remains committed to helping the people of Yemen while respecting international humanitarian principles.  The U.S. government has provided over $2 billion in humanitarian assistance to Yemen since October 2015.  However, no amount of humanitarian or development assistance will end this conflict and the suffering of millions.  An enduring solution will only come through a comprehensive political agreement that allows the people of Yemen to determine a secure and prosperous future.