Aden, Yemen, June 6, 2022 — The International Rescue Committee (IRC) welcomes the two month extension of the truce in Yemen which still remains one of the largest humanitarian crises in the world with over 20 million people in need of assistance.
Jared Rowell, IRC Yemen Country Director said,
“The two month truce extension is a positive development for the people of Yemen. As a result of the truce thus far, the number of deaths resulting from air raids are at an all time low since the escalation of conflict in 2015 and essential services have been delivered through the Port of Hodeidah. This war has continued for too long and has caused tremendous suffering for millions of Yemenis over the past 7 years. Ongoing conflict compounded by economic warfare and climate shocks have resulted in over 20 million people in need of humanitarian assistance - tens of thousands of civilians have died, over 2 million children are acutely malnourished and millions of people have lost their livelihoods.
“The next two months must be used to move forward on robust peace negotiations which should ultimately culminate in a permanent, diplomatic solution to avoid further suffering for millions of civilians who continue to bear the brunt of this war. It is imperative that routes to Taiz are opened in order to allow the free movement of people and goods from and to the city. The IRC encourages all parties to this conflict to continue negotiations in order to bring stability to the Yemeni people.”
The IRC has been working in Yemen since 2012 and rapidly scaled our programming in 2015 to address greater humanitarian needs caused by the conflict. While the ongoing conflict creates challenges for our operations, the IRC has maintained access to affected populations and continues to provide life-saving services, including treatment for malnutrition, healthcare, water and sanitation, cash assistance as well as case management services and education programming.