Yemeni minister praises Qatar’s role in relief effort

The conference on the humanitarian crisis in Yemen concluded in Doha yesterday with Yemeni Minister for Local Administration and Chairman of the Higher Committee for Relief, Abdalrguib Fath, hailing the efforts of HH the Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani, the Qatari government and the people to support his country.
The conference, entitled “Humanitarian Crisis in Yemen....Challenges and Prospects for Humanitarian Response”,  saw at least 90 regional and international humanitarian organisations and more than 150 experts and specialists in relief and humanitarian fields taking part in the event organised by Qatar Charity.  
The tree-day conference discussed the humanitarian crisis in Yemen, exchange of information, and follow-up mechanisms for determining needs of the Yemenis and the distribution of aid according to geographic areas, among other things.
The sessions and workshops of the conference focused on assessment of the humanitarian situation in Yemen, identification of needs in multiple humanitarian sectors such as education, health, water and sanitation, livelihoods, economic empowerment, shelter, food and protection.
On the concluding day, yesterday, a high-level meeting was held to review the outcomes, launch new initiatives, partnerships, alliances and co-ordinate field actors.
Representatives of the organisations and the conference organisers highlighted the event’s success in shedding light on the humanitarian crisis.
In his closing address, Yemeni minister Fath described the conference’s aims as humanitarian ‘par excellence’ and  committed to neutrality, transparency and responsibility to support about 27mn Yemenis suffering from a real disaster.
He noted in this context that 21mn Yemenis accounting 82 % of the country’s population need humanitarian aid of various kinds, including 14mn people who need healthcare.
About 2,800,000 Yemenis are displaced in various provinces and more than 3mn children are out of school, he said while noting that various educational institutions have been destroyed.
Dr Ahmad Mohamed al-Muraikhi, Director of International Development Department at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, stressed Qatar’s firm commitment to stand by the Yemeni people during its humanitarian plight. Qatar has and will spare no effort in supporting the Yemeni people cause, he said.