UAE calls 2023 the year of peace in Yemen

The United Arab Emirates has affirmed that 2023 should be the year of peace in war-torn Yemen, and all international efforts should be mobilised to bring a permanent end to the brutal conflict in the country, satisfy the legitimate requirements of Yemenis, and bolster peace and stability in the region, underscoring the efforts of Saudi Arabia, Oman, and UN Special Envoy to Yemen Hans Grundberg.

This came during a donor conference in Geneva to mobilise support for the 2023 Humanitarian Response Plan for Yemen.

In attendance were Noura Al Kaabi, UAE Minister of State, Antonio Guterres, UN Secretary-General, Johan Forssell, Swedish Minister for International Development Cooperation and Foreign Trade, and Ignazio Cassis, Head of the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs of the Swiss Confederation – in addition to scores of international humanitarian organisations and donor countries.

At the donor conference, Al Kaabi brought the Emirates’ commitment to assisting the Yemenis into the limelight, underscoring the $6.6 billion the UAE has provided Yemen in aid since 2015, in addition to the $300 million deposit to strengthen the local currency.

Continuing this approach, the Emirates is also offering major support this year towards reconstruction and rehabilitation projects in the war-ravaged nation with nearly $325 million to improve the agriculture, renewable energy, and healthcare sectors, including helping with the construction of a dam for irrigation purposes.

The Yemeni government and the Iran-backed Houthi militia have been involved in a years-long brutal conflict after the group seized control of the capital Sanaa in 2014. An UN-brokered ceasefire expired on October 2 last year after the Houthis refused to extend it.

Al Kaabi concluded by highlighting the UAE’s growing focus on finding a solution to the conflict – instead of managing it – starting with renewing the ceasefire and easing the catastrophic consequences of the war. In an effort to foster sustainable development in Yemen, a transition must be made from emergency relief to recovery, she noted.