UN Warns Shortfall Will Shut Yemen Programs as Covid-19 Spreads

(Bloomberg) -- The United Nations is warning that a funding shortage may force it to close many of its programs in Yemen just as the coronavirus spreads in a country already suffering through one of the world’s worst humanitarian disasters.

More than 30 UN programs in Yemen will close in the next few weeks if the organization can’t secure additional funds during a pledging conference in June, Mark Lowcock, the United Nations’ top official for humanitarian affairs and emergency relief, told reporters Thursday.

The UN said that Covid-19 cases have now been confirmed in 10 of the country’s 22 governorates, demonstrating widespread transmission. That threat is compounded by already widespread malnutrition, poor health conditions and a continuing war between rebel Houthi forces and a coalition led by neighboring Saudi Arabia.

“Is the world ready to watch Yemen fall off a cliff?” Lowcock asked. “There are tens of millions of people whose lives are at risk. Unless we get not just pledges, but money, we’re going to see something really bad happen.”

The UN is now seeking $2.4 billion to continue the world’s largest relief operation, assisting more than 10 million people every month, Lowcock added. The UN also called on authorities across Yemen to report virus cases and all other relevant information transparently, as well “as to urgently adapt and apply measures that can further suppress and mitigate spread of the disease.”

©2020 Bloomberg L.P.