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Yemen Comprehensive Humanitarian Operations (YCHO): New Humanitarian Operation Commits Over $3.5 Billion to Relieve Suffering in Yemen

The Coalition to Restore Legitimacy in Yemen announced today the launch of the new Yemen Comprehensive Humanitarian Operations (YCHO), an expanded relief program that commits billions of dollars in aid and support for the humanitarian response to the conflict in Yemen. The YCHO’s objectives are to improve the Yemeni humanitarian situation by addressing immediate aid shortfalls while simultaneously building capacity for long-term improvement of humanitarian aid and commercial goods imports to Yemen. The plan is specifically designed to address the needs of Yemenis in all regions.

H. E. Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi, President of the Republic of Yemen said,

“On behalf of the people of Yemen, I express my profound gratitude to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for its efforts to alleviate the suffering. This humanitarian operation will reaffirm the longstanding trust and friendship between Yemen and the countries of the Coalition. Nothing demonstrates this more powerfully than the unprecedented humanitarian operation that is being implemented today.”

YCHO’s efforts to open land, sea, and air lanes to Yemen will result in 1.4 million metric tons of imports into Yemen each month, up from 1.1 million metric tons per month in 2017. Among the announced efforts, the Coalition will:

• Increase the capacities of Yemeni ports to receive humanitarian as well as commercial imports.
• Operate an air bridge from Riyadh in Saudi Arabia to Ma’rib to run multiple daily flights of C130 cargo planes full of humanitarian aid; and
• Set up 17 safe-passage corridors originating from 6 points of entry to ensure safe overland transportation of aid to NGOs operating in the interior of Yemen.

YCHO will support the Yemeni humanitarian situation by addressing immediate aid shortfalls while simultaneously building capacity for long-term improvement of humanitarian aid delivery and commercial imports to Yemen. On January 18, 2018, the Kingdom announced its contribution of $2 billion to the Central Bank of Yemen to promote economic stabilization.

Additionally, under YCHO, the Coalition will contribute:

• $1.5 billion in new humanitarian aid funding for distribution across UN agencies and international relief organizations;
• $40 million to expand Yemeni ports’ capacity to accommodate additional shipments
• $30 million to reduce the cost of land transportation through road upgrades.

H.E. Mohammed Saeed Al Jabir, Ambassador of Saudi Arabia to the Republic of Yemen said,

“These humanitarian operations aim to increase the capacity of Yemeni ports, and to secure sea, land and air corridors, providing urgent relief for the widespread deterioration in food and water security that has occurred as a result of the continued attacks of Iranian-backed Houthi militias, their hindrance of humanitarian aid flows, and their rejection of a political solution. The operation builds upon the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s efforts to support the people of Yemen over the years, including the recent deposit of $2 billion into the Central Bank of Yemen. The Kingdom is determined to alleviate the suffering of the fraternal Yemeni nation and redress the criminal activity of the Houthi militias. We continue to stand by the people of Yemen.”

Col. Turki bin Saleh Al-Malki, spokesman for the Coalition in Yemen said,

“The Coalition is placing its military resources at the disposal of these broad-ranging humanitarian operations, protecting the supply routes through air, sea and land with the logistical and technical capacity of the armed forces of the Coalition member states. We are backing a professionally planned and detailed humanitarian mission with military power and precision to guarantee that the humanitarian aid reaches the people who need it to lift their suffering.”

YCHO’s launch follows the re-opening of the Port of Hodeidah on 22 Nov 17 and the Sana’a airport on 23 Nov 17. Pursuant to the Coalition’s goals of ending the humanitarian crisis in Yemen, the decision was reached to extend the opening of the Port of Hodeidah for another 30 days, allowing shipments of aid, including fuel and food shipments, to get through. The Coalition calls upon the United Nations and the international community to continue to support and develop the UNVIM, located in Djibouti, to prevent the Iranian backed Houthi militias from continuing to smuggling weapons and military supplies into Yemen and using the port as a base to launch attacks in the Red Sea.

The Saudi-led Coalition, in partnership with UN agencies, continues to make the welfare of the Yemeni people its top priority in its efforts to restore peace and stability to Yemen. The Yemen Comprehensive Humanitarian Operations reinforce the Coalition’s commitment to bringing needed food, medicine, humanitarian assistance and fuel supplies to the people of Yemen in all regions.