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Joint statement by the Yemeni civil society organizations to the United Nations General Assembly [EN/AR]

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In its seventh year, the ongoing conflict in Yemen continues to place millions in extreme vulnerability. Over four million displaced people bear harsh conditions 80 per cent of whom are women and children. In the first half of 2021 only, over 24 thousand families were forced to escape their homes as fighting escalated in Marib. Over two thirds of Yemen’s 30.5 million population cannot survive without humanitarian aid. Even though Yemen was already the poorest country in the region, the conflict further worsened the living conditions of millions. Escalating fighting, rounds of currency de-evaluation and obstructions to the flow of essential commercial goods and humanitarian aid into and within the country continue, driving economic collapse and dramatic increase in prices of basic commodities that undermine people’s ability to survive on a daily basis. This is combined with irregular or non-payment of public wages. Over 20 million people lack access to medical care, with 50 per cent of health facilities barely functional and a ratio of only 10 health workers per 10,000 people – less than a quarter of the health personnel needed to achieve the health targets of the Sustainable Development Goals.

The closure of Sana’a airport since 2017 continues to deprive critically ill Yemenis from accessing immediate care outside the country. Destroyed infrastructure, collapsing monetary systems, deteriorating services and shrinking income opportunities further expose millions to the risks of epidemics including cholera and COVID-19. The impacts associated with climate change already devastated the country with the most vulnerable groups bearing its toll. Since January 2021, flash floods affected over 13 thousand families across Yemen. In 2020, over 300 thousand people including displaced communities were affected by flash floods. This comes on top of a devastating locust swarm that is expected to destroy vital agricultural crops. All these factors add to the burden of the food insecurity situation in across the country, with about 13,5 million people suffering from severe food shortages. Access constraints for humanitarian aid continue, caused by both insecurity and direct impediments that are placed on the movement of personnel and commodities by all parties to the conflict.

Over the past 6 years, the overall failure of rounds of peace negotiations and recent initiatives to secure a nation-wide ceasefire have been clear indicators that all parties to the conflict do not prioritize the interest and future of Yemeni women, children and men. With no one to hold them accountable, all parties to the conflict committed violations to human rights, including; arbitrary deprivation of life, enforced disappearance, arbitrary arrest, torture, recruitment and use of children in hostilities, deprivation of the right to a fair trial, and violations of fundamental freedoms and economic, social and cultural rights. Women and the wider civil society have not been included in the talks, and their concerns have long been neglected by all parties to the conflict. We welcome the appointment of Mr. Grundberg as the new Special Envoy, and we urge him to take a transparent approach and ensure regular and meaningful engagement and consultation with Yemeni civil society organizations, Women Rights groups and activists from across the country.

As the international community meets at the UN General Assembly, we – the undersigned Yemeni civil society organisations – encourage Member States meeting to use this momentum to double their efforts and support necessary steps to end the crisis in Yemen and the unthinkable impacts that ongoing fighting is having on Yemen and its population, combined with the additional burden of the global pandemic. We call for:

The international community and donors to exert more pressure and demand warring parties and their backers to:

  • Immediately commit to a nationwide ceasefire and resume peace negotiations in good faith and achieve comprehensive peace. This must include equal and meaningful participation of women and civil society.
  • Adhere to IHL, end all types of violations and ensure the protection of civilians, civilian properties and infrastructure. To this end, the international community must ensure effective accountability mechanisms are in place and applied to hold all parties to the conflict accountable.
  • Put an end to obstruction of or delays to the passage of critical supplies – including food, fuel and medicine – into the country’s ports and between governorates.
  • Ensure freedom of movement and unimpeded access for all humanitarian NGOs to deliver lifesaving aid to affected communities across Yemen.
  • Immediately reopen key airports including Sana’a International airport and open main roads and access points between main Yemeni cities to ensure the security and safety of civilian movement, in addition to improving the performance of key sea and airports and protecting them from threats.
  • Fulfil their commitments towards public servants through regular and timely payment of salaries, for all public sector employees across the country.

The international community to:

  • Work with all parties to establish effective and sustainable solution to the continuous deterioration of the currency and the national economy by providing effective mechanisms to address soaring prices and ensure financial stability.
    • This must include adequate support to ensure the full restoration and activation of public services and institutions across the country.
  • Immediately provide emergency funds to bridge the critical funding gap for the Humanitarian Response Plan, to prevent further deterioration of the humanitarian situation and to ensure a strong response which includes an enhanced role for national civil society organizations.
  • In parallel to relief assistance, ensure an increased focus on early recovery and development projects based on the conditions and needs in each governorate, in order to ensure a more sustainable approach that complements humanitarian interventions.
    • This should include strengthening accountability and transparency frameworks, and the genuine participation of civil society organizations in all phases of the humanitarian response plan.

End exportation of arms to warring parties:

  • Concerned member states must end arms sales to parties to the conflict. Showing concerns of potential abuses is not enough, unless followed with concrete steps to stop arms transfers and other forms of military support to parties carrying out military actions that resulted in the worst humanitarian crisis Yemen has ever witnessed.

Signatories:

1. Ability for Human Security

2. Abs Development Organization for Woman and Child (ADO)

3. Afaq Shababia Foundation

4. Al Aman Organization for Blind Women Care

5. Al-Aidaroos Association

6. Alf Ba Civilian and Coexistence Foundation

7. All Girls Foundation for Development

8. ARDO Yemen

9. Arab Youth Sustainable Development Network

10. As-Salam School

11. Awam foundation for Development and Culture

12. Baader Foundation for Development

13. Basma Foundation For Child Development &Women

14. Building Foundation for Development - BFD

15. Cadres Foundation for Development and Humanitarian Relief

16. Civil Alliance for Peace

17. Coalition for Humanitarian Relief

18. Coordination Committee

19. Democracy School

20. Eaha’s Foundation for calm & Social Peace

21. Enjaz Foundation For Development

22. Estijabah Foundation for Humanitarian Aid & Relief

23. Ethra Foundation

24. Family Counselling & Development Foundation

25. Federation of Chambers of Commerce

26. Field Medical Foundation FMF

27. Food Bank

28. For All Foundation

29. Future Social Charity Association

30. Ghadaq for Development

31. Generation Without Qat Organization

32. Gusoor Organization for Peace Co- existence

33. Hemmat Shabab Foundation For Development

34. Heran Foundation for local Development

35. Hodeida Girls Foundation for Social Development

36. International Youth Council - Yemen

37. Ithraa Developmental Foundation

38. Jeel Albena Foundation

39. Khadija Foundation For Development

40. Knoz Yemen for Humanitarian Development

41. Life Makers Meeting Place Organization (LMMPO)

42. Look INSIDE

43. Manarat Foundation

44. Marib Girls Foundation

45. Mawdah Association

46. Medical mercy Foundation

47. Mercy Wings Foundation for Relief and Development

48. Millennium Development Foundation (MDF)

49. Musanadah Foundation for Development

50. Mysarah Foundation

51. Nahda Makers Organization -NMO

52. National Foundation for Development and Humanitarian Response

53. National Org for Health Development,

54. National Prisoner Foundation

55. Peace and Building Foundation

56. Rawahel Foundation for Development

57. Sada Foundation for Building & Development

58. Sheba Youth Foundation for Development

59. Social Peace Promotion & Legal Promotion

60. Social Solidarity Foundation for Development

61. SOS Center for Youth Capabilities Development

62. SOUL for Development

63. Sustainable Development Foundation (SDF)

64. Tamdeen Youth Foundation

65. Tatweer Foundation

66. The Center of Strategic Studies to Support Women and Child

67. Together Foundation

68. Volunteers Foundation.

69. Wa3i Foundation

70. Wahg Al-hyat Foundation

71. Wama Foundation for Development and Human Rights

72. Watch for for Human Rights

73. Wojood Foundation for Human Security

74. Yemen AlKhair for Relief & Development Foundation

75. Yemen Association for Development

76. Yemen Entrepreneurs Foundation

77. Yemen Health Foundation

78. Yemen Medicine Bank

79. Yemen School of Peace

80. Yemeni Development Network for NGOs (YDN)

81. Yemeni Psychological Association

82. Yemeni Response Council "YRC"

83. Yemeni Women Union

84. Youth Without Borders Organization for Development.