Mercy Corps Statement on Calls for Yemen Peace Talks

Following U.S. Sec. of State Pompeo's call for a ceasefire in Yemen, our Country Director Abdikadir Mohamud made the following statement:

"Secretary Pompeo's call for a ceasefire is a step in the right direction, but the final destination still remains unclear. This is, undoubtedly, the best opportunity for peace we have had in four long years of war, but if other members of the UN Security Council don't also keep the pressure on all warring parties, there is a chance these negotiations will fall short. A lasting political solution is the only way to halt the overwhelming humanitarian catastrophe unfolding across Yemen today.

"I can think of 14 million reasons why governments must support the United States' call for a ceasefire; I cannot think of a single reason, given the horrific scale of suffering in the country, why they would not."

Notes to Editors:

• Last year Mercy Corps reached 3.7 million people in Yemen.
• Today we are providing food assistance to more than 240,800 individuals across six governorates and supplying safe drinking water for more than 20,000 people each day in partnership with local water suppliers.
• Over the past four years, we have screened 17,596 children under five for acute malnutrition and provided support for the treatment of almost 5,000 cases of severe acute malnutrition. So far in 2018, we’ve screened an additional 2,100 children under five and referred around 100 for treatment.