DOHA, Feb 22 (KUNA) -- The International Conference on the Humanitarian Crisis in Yemen kicked off Monday in the Qatari capital Doha, with the presence of over 90 regional and international humanitarian organizations, including around 150 specialists.
The conference, hosted by Qatar Charity Society, in conjunction with 13 regional and international organizations, will last for three days. It aims to tackle the humanitarian crisis in the war-torn Arab peninsula nation by concerting the views of all participants in the conference. In a statement to journalists, Yemen's Minister of Local Administration and Chairman of the Higher Committee for Relief Abdulraqib Saif Fath said that the conference is the first of its kind, adding that any relief aid to Yemen needs to be propped up by a comprehensive database that would dictate the scale of relief needed.
The conference would also serve as a platform for which to boost cooperation between regional humanitarian organizations, Fath noted.
The conference comprises four main plans, belonging to Yemen's Higher Committee for Relief, King Salman Center for Relief and Humanitarian works, Qatar Charity society and the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).
Fath also said that he remains hopeful that these plans will be unhampered by flaws that typically plague relief efforts during crises.
The Yemeni minister revealed that 12 out of Yemen's 22 provinces had ben surveyed in order to determine the scope of relief needed in these areas.
A meeting slated for March seventh, will initiate a designated office tasked with coordinating relief efforts in Yemen, while also yielding a unified Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) plan aimed at supporting Sanaa. Estimated relief aid amounts to USD two billion and 400,000, Fath said, while the United Nations estimates that 60% of the Yemeni population lives below the poverty threshold. (end) kah.nam