The executive director of the UN World Food Programme (WFP), David Beasley, has lauded Saudi Arabia’s efforts in helping the organization meet the urgent food needs of “some of Yemen’s most vulnerable groups.” In a recent statement, Beasley appreciated the Kingdom for contributing $60 million through the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center (KSrelief).
He emphasized that humanitarian action in Yemen could not be sustained without this contribution. According to the WFP official, the donation will help close critical gaps in the supply and distribution of lifesaving food assistance over the next few months.
The World Food Programme intends to use this funding to purchase wheat grain, flour, vegetable oil, and other staple items for the monthly food baskets distributed to needy families. The food aid will benefit 4.9 million people in 15 governorates who are severely food insecure. Beasley thanked the Kingdom, represented by KSrelief, for this contribution, noting that it came at a critical time, particularly in light of the additional humanitarian challenges posed by the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic.
Since 2018, Saudi Arabia has contributed $858 million to WFP's response in Yemen, including $380 million in 2019 to help WFP scale-up its operations to reach 13 million people, effectively "pulling Yemen back from the brink of famine and saving lives."
