News - Middle East: Millions of people in Yemen could face a “death sentence” if the gaps in the UN’s funding for humanitarian aid are not filled, a UN official has warned.

Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator Martin Griffiths told the UN Security Council on Tuesday that January had seen nearly two-thirds of major UN aid programs being scaled back or closed. He said rations may be cut further from March, or stopped.

“The humanitarian operation... is about to start doing a lot less,” Griffiths said. “Aid agencies are quickly running out of money, forcing them to slash life-saving programs.”

“We have never before contemplated giving millions of hungry people no food at all. If these gaps aren’t addressed, it will simply be a death sentence for people whose coping mechanisms in some cases are completely exhausted and who rely on assistance for their survival,” Griffiths said.

The official, who previously served as the UN’s special envoy for Yemen, described the current funding shortage as “unprecedented in Yemen.”

According to the UN humanitarian office, the 2021 humanitarian plan for Yemen received $2.27 billion of its $3.85-billion requirement, the lowest funding level since 2015. The 2022 plan has not been released.

Funding shortages could also deprive 3.6 million people of safe drinking water and end programs to promote reproductive health.