Statement from Dr Mike Ryan, Executive Director, WHO Health Emergencies Programme at the Yemen High-level Pledging Conference

(Thank you Mark, Shukran Dr. Al Rabeeah)I am speaking today on behalf of WHO Director-General Dr Tedros, and of Dr Ahmed Al-Mandhari, WHO Regional Director for the Eastern Mediterranean Region Excellencies, distinguished delegates, ladies and gentlemen, salam aleikum, As we all know, Yemen is the most complex humanitarian operation in the world. Indeed, when Dr Al-Mandhari - who is also participating in this event - visited Yemen last year, he saw parents who were desperate to find help for their sick children; an elderly man die before his eyes as doctors tried to save him, and he met the son of one doctor who died of cholera while treating patients with the disease. The situation has since become much worse. But in spite of it all, for the past five years, WHO and our partners have stood with the people of Yemen.When the world’s largest cholera outbreak hit, we together reversed the cycle of disease, protecting more than 10 million people. When measles threatened, we together vaccinated over 12 million children. When severe acute malnutrition spread, WHO and our partner MED-COM supported 80% of all therapeutic feeding centers, saving 91% of all children suffering from medical complications. And as more people face death and disease, WHO and partners are supporting 70% of all medical consultations in the country.And we did it all thanks to your generous support.But today, COVID-19 has pushed Yemen over the edge, with many health workers on the front line frustrated and bereft. In fact, one physician in the Kuwait Hospital in Sana’a, recently said that he is “exhausted by war and politics, exhausted by rumors and ignorance, and exhausted by greed and poverty.”And yet, in spite of enormous constraints, this physician and other courageous and committed individuals continue to serve their people every day.And so will WHO and our partners. We will continue to equip, upgrade and expand the number of isolation centers to 59 across the whole country. We will continue to...