Joint oral statement by Save the Children and 41 organizations

Urgent need to address the humanitarian crisis in Yemen and its impact on the most vulnerable populations
A call for establishing an international, independent investigative mechanism

Mr. President,

This statement is made on behalf of Save the Children and 41 national and international civil society organizations, including humanitarian organizations with current operations in Yemen. Yemen is facing an unprecedented peak of humanitarian, protection and economic crises leaving 21 million Yemeni people struggling to survive, half of them children.

An unparalleled cholera outbreak, exacerbated due to the collapse of an already fragile health sector, rages through the country. In just five months, nearly 700,000 suspected cases and 2,100 fatalities have been registered, among whom children, pregnant women, breastfeeding mothers, and the elderly represent the most vulnerable groups.

For almost a year, over one million public sector workers have been paid erratically or not paid at all, including thousands of health and sanitation workers, limiting the provision of public services at a time they are needed most.

These humanitarian circumstances do not exist in a vacuum. Parties to the conflict continue to deny or delay access to essential supplies into and within the country.

Likewise, we are deeply concerned that attacks on and military use of civilian infrastructure, including schools and hospitals, and the use of explosive weapons in populated areas, are being committed with complete impunity.

As civil society and humanitarians faced with a deteriorating crisis in Yemen, we implore you to take immediate action to hold all parties to the conflict accountable for violations of international humanitarian and international human rights law.

We call on Member States to urgently:

• establish an international, independent investigative mechanism;
• engage all parties to the conflict to find a peaceful, sustainable and implementable political solution that involves women, youth and minority groups;
• end the sale or transfer of arms and related materials to any party to the conflict where there is a risk they may be used in violation of international humanitarian or international human rights law; and
• fully fund the 2017 Revised Yemen Humanitarian Response Plan.

Thank you.

Signed by:

Yemenis NGOs

1. Attanweer Social Development Foundation
2. Al-Aman Organization for Blind Women Care
3. Al-Fajer Al-Qadem Foundation for Development
4. AWAM Foundation for Development and Culture
5. Baader Foundation for Development
6. Bassma Foundation for Development and Rights
7. Center for International Humanitarian Law and Human Rights
8. Challenge Association of Physically Disabled Women
9. Developmental Environment and Law Foundation
10. Future Partners for Development
11. Gusoor for Peace and Coexistence
12. Humanitarian Forum Yemen
13. Look Inside Foundation Development
14. Mwatana for Human Rights
15. National Forum of Human Rights
16. Sawasia Organization for Human Rights
17. Social Development Association
18. S.O.S. Center for Youth Capabilities Development
19. Women Development Center for Culture and Fight Against Violence
20. Yemen Centre for Human Rights Studies
21. Yemen Organization for Defending Rights and Democratic Freedoms

International NGOs
22. ACTED
23. Action Against Hunger
24. ADRA
25. CARE 26. Danish Refugee Council
27. Direct Aid
28. Global Communities
29. International Rescue Committee
30. INTERSOS
31. Islamic Relief Yemen
32. Medecins du Monde
33. Norwegian Refugee Council
34. Oxfam
35. Première Urgence Internationale
36. Relief International
37. Save the Children
38. Tearfund
39. War Child
40. Vision Hope International
41. World Relief Germany
42. ZOA