Intervention of the Permanent Representative of Greece, Ambassador Mrs Anna Korka to the High-Level Pledging Event for the Humanitarian Crisis in Yemen (Geneva, 25.04.2017)

High Level Pledging Event for the Humanitarian Response in Yemen
(Geneva 25.04.2017)
Intervention of Greece

Mr. Secretary General, Mr. Director General,
Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen,

I would like to join the previous speakers in thanking our hosts for organising this high level pledging event for Yemen, which is of paramount importance.

We are seriously concerned by the aggravated humanitarian situation in Yemen, which constitutes, as OCHA confirms,the world’s largest humanitarian crisis today. We are also alarmed by the extremely tense security situation in Yemen which threatens the regional security in the Middle East.

Greece remains committed to ensuring the unity, sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity of Yemen. We reiterate our firm support for the efforts of the Special Envoy of the Secretary General for Yemen to resolving the crisis, and we hope that soon a cease-fire will be accomplished. We urge all sides to take the necessary measures in order to facilitate the delivery of emergency humanitarian aid to the people of Yemen and to respect international humanitarian law. Finally, we attach particular importance to the protection of the freedom of navigation in the Straits of Aden, which together with the Suez Canal constitute a key marine corridor for international trade.

We have heard very carefully all previous speeches and the powerful, mind-tearing accounts of human despair and desolation in Yemen. A further worsening of the humanitarian crisis will have disastrous consequences for the Yemeni population and the international community cannot afford a failure in responding to this humanitarian crisis.

Ladies and gentlemen, we want to add a voice of strong support and commitment to responding to the humanitarian crisis in Yemen. Thus, we hope that everyone with the ability to do so, will respond to the emergency humanitarian appeal of the hosts of today’s pledging event. With this opportunity, we want to commend the brave humanitarian workers that are doing their utmost to save lives in Yemen, often risking their own lives. We sincerely hope this pledging event can be a successful one and make a difference for the suffering people of Yemen.

I thank you,