Washington (March 1, 2021) – Senators Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), and Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) sent a letter today to Secretary of State Antony Blinken and United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Acting Administrator Gloria Steele calling for robust diplomacy and a reversal of the Trump administration’s decision to suspend U.S. humanitarian aid in northern Yemen.

 

On March 27 2020, USAID suspended more than $50 million dollars of humanitarian assistance to northern Yemen in response to Houthi rebels’ efforts to impede speedy assistance. However, USAID’s partners have stated that they now have the ability to impartially reach civilians throughout the country, as twenty-one million Yemenis struggle to survive with COVID-19 and the country stands at risk of famine.

 

“The spread of COVID-19 in 2020 exacerbated the Yemeni civilians’ already perilous existence; they have faced repeated displacement, rising food insecurity, environmental disaster, limited access to assistance, loss of livelihoods, and extreme currency inflation. The disproportional impacts of COVID-19 on the most vulnerable demand a flexible response from the United States, the United Nations, and international non-governmental organizations (INGOs), especially as the people of Yemen grow increasingly desperate,” write the Senators in their letter. “Our humanitarian assistance worldwide — provided solely on the basis of need, not politics — showcases American values during the COVID-19 pandemic and this period of unprecedented need.”

 

A copy of the letter can be found HERE.

 

In the letter, the Senators outline key steps for Secretary Blinken and Acting Administrator Steele to take related to Yemen, including: