The United Nations Office at Geneva
Multimedia Newsroom
Yemen’s future recovery hangs in balance, warns senior UN aid coordinator
Ongoing conflict and violence across Yemen continue to impact heavily on the country’s people who desperately need the fighting to end, so that they can rebuild their lives, the UN’s senior humanitarian official in the country said on Monday.
“I’ve seen the destruction of schools, of factories, of roads and bridges; I’ve seen the destruction of power systems so what made Yemen work seven years ago in many cases no longer exists,” said David Gressly, UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Yemen.
Speaking in Geneva after a weekend that saw a car bomb at Aden airport reportedly leave 25 people dead and 110 injured, the veteran aid worker warned over the recent escalation of fighting in the oil-rich northern province of Marib.
“This is now adding to additional displacement in that area, a place where we already have over a million people displaced,” he said. “And secondly, we have enclaves where fighting is continuing where we’re not able to provide support to.”
Longstanding concerns over potential famine in the country prompted a UN-led appeal for $3.6 billion in funding in March which has raised nearly $2.1 billion to date.
An additional $500-$600 million was also pledged during the recent UN General Assembly, Mr. Gressly added, noting that although the international response has been higher than for other emergencies, “it’s been particularly focused – and we understand why – on the food security and nutrition side, for most immediate lifesaving response.”
This has left the situation inside Yemen “very fragile and if that’s not sustained, if we’re not getting the new pledges on time…in 2022, we will revert back to where we were in March,” Mr. Gressly insisted.
He explained that people needed more than emergency care: “health, education, water, access and support to IDPs (internally displaced people) and livelihood support; those are almost all funded below 20 per cent, and so while the lifesaving is important, we can’t, we cannot afford to ignore the rest.”
Critical to Yemen’s recovery is support for the country’s civil servants, many of whom have not been paid in many months, amid conflict between the internationally backed government of Abd Rabbo Mansour Hadi and Houthi opposition forces, who occupy much of the north of the country.
Mr. Gressly stressed the importance of finding ways to support these civil servants as they were key to the country’s recovery – and the UN’s aid programmes. Without them, “the whole humanitarian response” risks becoming more expensive, he said.
ends
STORY: Yemen Update – David Gressly - OCHA
TRT: 2’05”
SOURCE: UNTV CH
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH
ASPECT RATIO: 16:9
DATELINE: 11 October 2021, GENEVA, SWITZERLAND
SHOTLIST
- Exterior wide shot, United Nations Geneva, flag alley, national and territorial colours flying, a fine day.
- Medium shot, TV Camera crews, journalists in the UN Geneva Press room.
- SOUNDBITE: (ENGLISH): UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Yemen, David Gressly: “I’ve seen the destruction of schools, of factories, of roads and bridges; I’ve seen the destruction of power systems so what made Yemen work seven years ago in many cases no longer exists.”
- Close-up: large-screen TV showing Mr. Gressly and to rear.
- SOUNDBITE: (ENGLISH): UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Yemen, David Gressly: “We are also concerned now with the escalation in fighting around Marib; this is now adding to additional displacement in that area, a place where we already have over a million people displaced. And secondly, we have enclaves where fighting is continuing where we’re not able to provide support to.”
- Medium shot, journalist seated and masked in foreground, Mr. Gressly to rear.
- SOUNDBITE: (ENGLISH): UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Yemen, David Gressly: “We did request in March $3.6 billion, we have close to $2.1 billion already, so it’s more than 50 per cent, so in that sense good, particularly relative to other responses, but it’s been particularly focused – and we understand why – on the food security and nutrition side, for most immediate lifesaving response.”
- Close-up, TV camera viewfinder showing Mr. Gressly on screen and to rear.
- SOUNDBITE: (ENGLISH): UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Yemen, David Gressly: “But it’s very fragile and if that’s not sustained, if we’re not getting the new pledges on time, or it’s not sustained in 2022, we will revert back to where we were in March.”
- Medium shot, journalist, masked, using mouse and looking at laptop screen, TV cameras reflected in translators’ booths to rear.
- UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Yemen David Gressly: “It’s really for the other components of the response: health, education, water, access and support to IDPs and livelihood support; those are almost all funded below 20 per cent, and so while the lifesaving is important, we can’t, we cannot afford to ignore the rest.”
- Medium-wide shot, photographer sitting on the floor, taking photograph of Mr. Gressly.
- Medium shot, photographer preparing to take photograph.
- Medium shot, journalist in foreground, masked, TV camera operator to rear, masked.
Similar Stories
1
1
1
Edited News | OHCHR
Ravina Shamdasani, UN Human Rights spokesperson, made the following comments at the bi-weekly press briefing of the United Nations on the United States’ intervention in Venezuela.
1
1
1
Edited News | OCHA , OHCHR
Venezuela: US military intervention ‘far from victory for human rights’, makes world less safe – UN rights office
The UN rights office (OHCHR) on Tuesday expressed concern over the situation in Venezuela following the United States military operation and seizure of President Nicolás Maduro over the weekend, insisting that the move runs counter to international law and damages global security.
1
1
1
Press Conferences | OCHA , OHCHR , UNHCR
Alessandra Vellucci, Director of the United Nations Information Service in Geneva, chaired a hybrid press briefing, which was attended by spokespersons and representatives of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.
1
1
1
Press Conferences | OCHA
U.S. Mission in Geneva hosts MOU signing and funding event with key humanitarian speakers.
1
1
1
Press Conferences | UNHCR , IOM , FAO , WHO , OCHA , UNICEF
Alessandra Vellucci, Director of the United Nations Information Service in Geneva, chaired a hybrid press briefing, which was attended by the representatives and spokespersons of the United Nations Refugee Agency, the International Organization for Migration, the Food and Agriculture Organization, the World Health Organization, the United Nations Children's Fund and the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.
1
1
1
Edited News | IOM
As fighting spreads across Sudan in a dangerous new escalation, "people are scared, people are fleeing their homes," the UN migration agency, IOM, said on Friday, noting that more than 50,000 people have fled attacks and violence since late October in Kordofan region alone.
1
1
1
Edited News | OHCHR , UNOG
Volker Türk the UN Human Rights High Commissioner made the following remarks during and Oral update tothe Human Rights Council intersessional meeting on Venezuela.
1
1
1
Edited News | WHO
New flu variant is surging, but vaccination still our best bet - WHO
Amid an early start to the Northern Hemisphere influenza season a new variant of the virus is rapidly gaining ground - but vaccination remains the “most effective defence”, the UN health agency said on Tuesday.
1
1
1
Press Conferences | WFP , WHO
Alessandra Vellucci, Director of the United Nations Information Service (UNIS) in Geneva, chaired the hybrid briefing, which was attended by spokespersons and representatives from the United Nations Office at Geneva, the World Food Programme, and the World Health Organization.
1
1
1
Press Conferences | UNOG
Tatiana Valovaya, Director-General of the UN Office at Geneva, gave a year-end briefing to the Geneva press corps.
1
1
1
Press Conferences | WFP , UNHCR , WHO , IOM , UNFPA
Alessandra Vellucci, Director of the United Nations Information Service in Geneva, chaired a hybrid press briefing, which was attended by the representatives and spokespersons of the United Nations Refugee Agency, the World Food Programme, the World Health Organization, the International Organization for Migration, and the United Nations Population Fund.