The United Nations chief has warned of a "death sentence" for war-torn Yemen as a donor conference yielded less than half the funds needed to prevent a devastating famine.
The UN had appealed for $3.85 billion to fund urgently needed humanitarian programmes, but just $1.7 billion was offered at a virtual pledging conference, including €5m from Ireland.
"Millions of Yemeni children, women and men desperately need aid to live. Cutting aid is a death sentence," UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said in a statement.
Describing the outcome as "disappointing", he said the pledges were less than the UN received in 2020, when donations were first hit by the coronavirus downturn, and a billion dollars less than was pledged in the 2019 appeal.
"The best that can be said about today is that it represents a down payment. I thank those who did pledge generously, and I ask others to consider again what they can do to help stave off the worst famine the world has seen in decades," Mr Guterres said.
More than 100 governments and donors took part in the conference - co-hosted by Sweden and Switzerland - as Yemen's Huthi rebels push to seize the government's last northern stronghold.
Yemen's six-year-old civil war pits the Iran backed rebels against an internationally recognised government which is supported by a Saudi-led military coalition.
Mr Guterres said the only way of relieving the suffering for Yemeni people was to secure a nationwide ceasefire and a political solution to end a grinding conflict that has plunged the nation into the world's worst humanitarian crisis.
"There is no other solution," the UN secretary general said. "The United Nations will continue to stand in solidarity with the starving people of Yemen."
Secretary General of the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) Jan Egeland said he was "deeply disappointed" by the donations.
"[A]fter all our warnings, indications show that world leaders today pledged less than half the US$4 billion that Yemenis so desperately need. This means continued massive cuts to emergency food, water, shelter and medical support. The shortfall in humanitarian aid will be measured in lives lost", Mr Egeland said today.
Mr Egeland, who chairs the UN humanitarian advisory panel on Syria said he had warned country leaders during the fundraising appeal that starvation is killing children in Yemen, which is entering its seventh year of the current conflict.
He said immediate action was needed to prevent a full-scale famine.
"I told governments at the conference that I have just seen children who are already dying of starvation in Yemen. It is in their power to prevent full-scale famine, or forever have this stain on their consciences. So far, they have failed to act".
The NRC chief said that action needed to accompany adequate funding: " Yemen needs three things to avert a catastrophe: more money that we can use today; a famine-prevention ceasefire; and full access to people in need".
Additional reporting: Colm Ó Mongáin
