Main Address at Donor Conference for Yemen

Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen,

• I would like to thank Sweden, Switzerland and the UN for hosting this important conference.

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• Yemen is experiencing a humanitarian disaster.
• Two years of conflict has had a devastating impact.
• Every ten minutes in Yemen, a child under five dies from preventable diseases, because the health system is on the verge of collapse.
• Over seven million urgently need food assistance. There is a real danger of famine.
• Over 18 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance

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• Norway is extremely concerned by the situation in Yemen.
• Not only are the humanitarian needs enormous, but lack of access to hard-to-reach and besieged areas is a huge obstacle for humanitarian efforts.
• This underlines the need for a political solution to the conflict.
• We urge the conflicting parties to take into consideration that Hodeidah is the main port for essential food and aid imports.
• All parties to the conflict must allow for humanitarian access in accordance with International Humanitarian Law, and ensure the safety of humanitarian workers.

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• Today, Norway pledges NOK 212 million (about USD 25 million) in humanitarian funding to Yemen for 2017.
• We are also a large donor to the UN Central Emergency Relief Fund.
• Timely disbursement of pledges is important to close the financing gap.
• We are doing our utmost to disburse quickly, with funding to some key partners already disbursed or about to be disbursed.

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• Securing access to education is key to the future of Yemen.
• During the war, 1.8 million children have had their school bombed or occupied.
• This is unacceptable. Schools are supposed to be places of hope and learning, not places of fear.
• Norway calls on all states to endorse and implement the Safe Schools declaration in order to prevent military use and protect education under attack.
• By making schools safer, we are protecting the future.
• It's the young generation of Yemen that must play the main role in rebuilding the country when the conflict is over.

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• Finally, I would like to thank our partners – the UN, the Red Cross Movement and other civil society organisations for their work on the ground in Yemen.

Thank you.