The United Nations’ Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) launched an appeal for a $1.8bn humanitarian aid for Yemen on 18 February.

The fund will be used to provide critical and life-saving assistance to 13.6 million people who have been affected by the escalation in conflict across the country.

“Ten months after the conflict escalated, violence has taken a dreadful toll among civilians and exhausted the population,” said Jamie McGoldrick, UN humanitarian coordinator, in a statement. “Many Yemenis continue to face threats to their life and dignity. The warring parties need to live up to their responsibilities under international humanitarian law. Even war has limits.”

The 2016 Yemen Humanitarian Response Plan brought together 100 organisations to address the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Yemen. 

The UN estimates that some 21.2 million, or one in five Yemenis, are in need of urgent humanitarian assistance.

”Relentless conflict with increased attacks on essential civilian and economic infrastructure has pushed basic social services to a near collapse, the economy has ground to a halt, and millions of families have lost their livelihoods,” the OCHA said.

The organisation reported having received only $892m (56 per cent) out of the $1.6bn request from humanitarian partners in 2015.