UNICEF and Saudi Arabia through the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Centre (KSrelief) announced a new US$7 million contribution supporting UNICEF’s education interventions in Yemen.
The funding will help increase access to quality education for girls and boys through formal, non-formal, and alternative education opportunities. The project aims to reach 578,000 children, 7,000 teachers, and 54,000 community members in Yemen.
The grant, signed in Riyadh by UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell and KSrelief Supervisor General Dr. Abdullah Al Rabeeah, brings the contributions recently received from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to UNICEF to US$22 million against the 2021 appeal. Earlier agreements provided quality maternal and newborn health services and access to safe water for thousands of children in Yemen.
UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell said, “As the conflict in Yemen enters its eighth year, the situation of children is increasingly dire. The partnership with KSrelief helps maintain vital health, education, water, sanitation, and hygiene services for millions of children across the country. Yemen is enduring one of the largest humanitarian crises in the world, and we will continue to do our utmost, but ultimately, the children of Yemen need peace.”
H.E. Dr. Abdullah Al Rabeeah, Supervisor General of the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Centre said, “Every child has the right to learn. On behalf of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, KSrelief is pleased to partner with UNICEF to ensure that children throughout Yemen have access to quality education in safe learning environments. This agreement will help us to realize the goal of providing a better future for millions of children. Together, we will continue to address the urgent needs of children in Yemen, and throughout the world.”
Protracted armed conflict, widespread economic collapse, and a breakdown in national systems and services have left 72 per cent of the population of Yemen, including 12.9 million children, in need of humanitarian assistance. UNICEF urgently needs USD240 million to fund its life-saving emergency response for children affected by the conflict over the next six months.