UK pledges £140m to help Yemen battle 'one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises'

The aid will help feed up to 864,000 people, the British Foreign Office said

Families receive food aid and supplies at a camp for displaced people in Yemen's war-ravaged western province of Hodeida. AFP

Yemen is suffering “one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises”, Foreign Secretary David Cameron said on Wednesday as Britain pledged £140 million ($178 million) in the coming year to help starving people in the country.

Lord Cameron said aid funding to Yemen will increase by 58 per cent for 2024-2025, which could contribute towards treating 700,000 malnourished children.

The Foreign Office said the aid will help feed up to 864,000 people and support 500 health facilities with medicines, vaccines and nutritional supplements.

Lord Cameron was expected to make the commitment, which will be delivered through organisations such as the World Food Programme and Unicef, during a meeting with Yemeni Prime Minister Ahmed Awad bin Mubarak on Wednesday.

Yemen was plunged into political turmoil in 2011, when protests inspired by the Arab Spring uprisings forced then president Ali Abdullah Saleh to resign and the Houthis seized vast swathes of the country.

More recently, the Iran-backed group has carried out attacks on commercial shipping in the Red Sea, which it insists will carry on as long as the war in Gaza continues.

“The Yemeni people are suffering one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises, with over half the population in need of humanitarian assistance, as its nine-year conflict drags on,” the Foreign Secretary said.

“The UK is stepping up to tackle the crisis in Yemen, but we need the international community to do the same to make a real difference.

“The Houthis' actions have aggravated this humanitarian crisis through blocking aid from reaching those who need it in northern Yemen and attacking commercial shipping in the Red Sea, which risks pushing up the price of vital supplies.

“As well as helping on the humanitarian front, we need to do more to help the government of Yemen to deliver for the Yemeni people. Our talks covered a range of sectors and areas where the UK can help.”

The Yemeni Prime Minister said: “I highly appreciate the United Kingdom’s uplifting aid to Yemen. As we move forward, it is essential that we expand our relations to include mutual investments across various sectors.

“Yemen’s strategic position at the crossroads of global trade routes makes it an attractive hub for commerce and investment.

“Enhanced economic co-operation between Yemen and the UK, including in sectors like energy, agriculture, fisheries, and manufacturing, will generate jobs and growth that benefit both our peoples.”