The U.N. humanitarian office called Thursday for $1.8 billion to provide lifesaving assistance to 13.6 million people across Yemen who have been affected by the escalating conflict in the country
“Yemen’s plight has often been overshadowed by crises elsewhere in the region and the world,” said Jamie McGoldrick, the humanitarian coordinator for Yemen. “We cannot afford to let Yemen become a forgotten crisis."
A conflict between Houthi rebels and the government of President Abdu Rabu Mansour Hadi intensified in March 2015 when the Houthis, who already controlled the Yemeni capital, pushed south to the port city of Aden and sent the president fleeing to Saudi Arabia.
The Saudis came to Hadi's aid by leading a coalition conducting airstrikes against the Houthis.
A U.N. statement said four out of five Yemenis were in need of humanitarian assistance. It noted that donors provided Yemen with $892 million in aid last year, about 56 percent of the $1.6 billion requested.
