EU boosts humanitarian aid for Yemen

The European Union (EU) Wednesday announced increasing its humanitarian aid by 12 million euros (about 13.04 million U.S. dollars ) for people affected by the crisis in Yemen.

The support will help address the most pressing needs of the suffering population, it said in a statement.

"The humanitarian crisis in Yemen is reaching catastrophic proportions with 80 percent of the population now in need of assistance," said Christos Stylianides, Commissioner for Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Management.

According to the European Commission, 10 million euros will be used to provide for nutrition, food, health, water, sanitation, shelter, emergency household supplies and protection to the vulnerable people in Yemen. The other 2 million will be divided equally for Djibouti and Somalia, helping refugees and returnees fleeing from Yemen to countries of the Horn of Africa.

Meanwhile, the EU called for humanitarian pauses during the conflicts in Yemen.

"Humanitarian pauses are vital to enable humanitarian workers and organizations deliver much needed aid. These pauses must be granted unconditionally by all the parties to the conflict," the commissioner said.

The EU reiterated its call to the fighting sides to adhere to the international humanitarian law by protecting civilians in the statement.

More than four months into the current conflict, there were severe shortages of water, food, medicines and fuel across Yemen, adding to the insecurity caused by regular airstrikes and fighting on the ground.

The influx of Yemeni refugees and Somali returnees fleeing to neighbouring Djibouti and Somalia has meanwhile stretched to the limit the capacities of these already fragile countries to host them.