60 UN agencies, NGOs seek full access to all of Yemen to assess aid needs

United Nations, Sep 16 (IANS) A UN spokesman has said that 60 UN agencies and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) seek unhindered access to all communities in Yemen, where 21.6 million people need aid.

Farhan Haq, the deputy spokesman for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, said on Friday that the group issued the plea in a joint statement on the war-torn country's humanitarian situation and a funding gap.

He added that the agencies and NGOs require unhindered access to identify people's needs, Xinhua news agency reported.

"They also warned that the decreasing funding trends continue to worry humanitarians, with a huge funding gap, steadily rising over the past five years, further compounding the situation," Haq said, noting that 75 per cent of the Yemeni population grapples with humanitarian needs.

The spokesman said that since last month, the Humanitarian Response Plan saw only 31.2 per cent of the $4.34 billion needed in funding.

"This is resulting in drastic and concerning cuts to aid, thus impacting the most vulnerable in Yemen," Haq added.