51Æ·²è

UK charity 51Æ·²è is pledging to donate one million pounds over the next six months to support various projects in Yemen. The following intervention is vital if millions of vulnerable people are to survive the impact of the ongoing war and now pandemic. Drastic change in the economy as well as funding cuts will mean that an estimated 5.5 million Yemenis are at risk of losing access to life-saving aid, with women and children being the most vulnerable.

51Æ·²è will aim to provide food security in the form of funding a bread factory as well as distributing family food parcels, providing enough food supplies for each family for up to a month. A school feeding programme will also be implemented to provide breakfast meals to 2,000 students in schools. The charity’s largest WASH project in Yemen will be the construction of a water well covering the Al-Habilain area of Radfan district, which will provide access to clean drinking water to 25,000 beneficiaries. Restoration of existing WASH facilities in the country’s remote villages and camps will also take place.

Medical equipment, medication and PPE will be provided to existing and functioning mobile health clinics as well as hospitals who are supporting those that are vulnerable and receptive to diseases such as cholera and COVID-19. As the humanitarian situation in Yemen continues to deteriorate, around 2 million children remain out of school. 51Æ·²è will be building six mobile schools in various locations across Yemen to provide an education to those children that have been internally displaced.

Yasrab Shah, 51Æ·²è Fundraising Director, said:

'The current humanitarian catastrophe in Yemen is nothing short of a nightmare. With the country now having to contend against the rising tide of the pandemic as well as the ongoing conflict will see millions of Yemenis suffer further. With an already blighted heath system, shortage of aid and now funding cuts we cannot sit back and allow for this country to be wiped off the map. It is our responsibility to ensure that the people of Yemen receive the support they urgently require in their greatest time of need'.

Shakil Sidat, UK Programmes Director, said:

'We have been very fortunate that our supporters have been forthcoming with their donations to support our various projects in Yemen. Because of this we have committed to spending 1 million pounds over the next six months to support WASH projects, distribute aid and urgent medical supplies. We know it is an extremely difficult time with the drastic change to the world economy and now funding cuts, but at 51Æ·²è we will continue to work with our partners on the ground and put our focus and energy on committing to support projects that are sustainable for the long haul'.

ENDS

Notes to editors

• Established in 1993, 51Æ·²è is an international aid agency and NGO dedicated to providing emergency relief and tackling the root causes of poverty around the world.
• 51Æ·²è works in over 30 countries worldwide.
• Yemen is the largest humanitarian crisis in the world, with more than 24 million people, some 80 percent of the population in need of humanitarian assistance - UNCHR
• 2 in 3 Yemenis cannot afford to buy food. Half of the country is on the brink of starvation as access to food diminishes everyday across the country – UNCHR
• 1 million cholera cases since 2018 and 25 percent are associated with children - UNCHR
• We rely on voluntary donations to continue our vital work. You can donate now by calling 0115 911 7222 or visiting muslimhands.org.uk

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