23 July 2021; MEMO: The Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al-Thani has instructed his country's authorities to allocate $100 million to stave off a famine in Yemen and support the United Nations' efforts to maintain food security in the war-torn country.
"The Emir of the country has ordered the allocation of $100 million to endorse the efforts of the UN World Food Programme (WFP) in Yemen, support food security and prevent famine," reported the Qatar News Agency (QNA) on Wednesday.
QNA explained that the funds would be allocated to back urgent UN relief and humanitarian programmes to alleviate the aggravating humanitarian tragedy in Yemen.
Doha has previously pledged $70 million to support the UN response plan in Yemen during the Yemen Donor Conference last March.
The UN has called on donor countries to donate $3.85 billion to fund humanitarian aid in Yemen in 2021, while emphasising that two-thirds of the population require assistance.
For nearly five years, Yemen has witnessed a war between pro-government forces and Iran-backed Houthi militias, who have taken control of many Yemeni governorates, including the capital, Sanaa, since September 2014.
Since March 2015, an Arab military coalition led by Saudi Arabia has supported the government forces against the Houthis, amid accusations of committing humanitarian crimes during the war.
