The British government is channeling 7.5 million pounds ($12.1 million) through UNICEF and the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs to ease the humanitarian crisis affecting children aged below 5 in Yemen.
The donation, according to the U.K. Department for International Development, constitutes the country’s response to the U.N. humanitarian appeal for Yemen in 2011. DfID noted that the 2011 Yemen Humanitarian Response Plan is 41 percent funded.
“The situation in Yemen is on a knife edge,” U.K. Secretary of State for International Development Andrew Mitchell said. “[They are] the most vulnerable members of society, particularly the youngest children, who find themselves on the front line of this humanitarian crisis.”
The grant worth 6 million pounds to UNICEF aims to address malnutrition, prevent deaths from dehydration, curb life-threatening diarrheal disease, vaccinate, and improve education for thousands of 5-year-olds in Yemen. The rest of the money will enable OCHA to distribute lifesaving equipment on short notice, including water purification and storage equipment, tents and medical supplies.
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