UN conference on Yemen pledges $2.6bn for humanitarian work

Pledges of donations for humanitarian work in Yemen have reached $2.6 billion, led by the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said. That is a 30-percent increase on the amount pledged at a similar donors conference last year. Yemen is facing the world’s worst humanitarian crisis, with 24 million people, or four-fifths of the country’s total population, requiring aid and protection. The UN is holding a donors conference in Geneva on Tuesday, seeking $4 billion from its members for its work in Yemen, AP said.