An open letter to the Government of Yemen and Ansar Allah, signed by 27 humanitarian agencies

We write to recognise and applaud the important steps you have taken to make the two-month truce in Yemen a success.

Since 2 April this year, as organisations working across Yemen, we have seen the positive humanitarian impacts of the truce. In the first month of the truce alone, the number of people killed or injured in Yemen has dropped by more than 50 per cent. Likewise, due to the regular entry of fuel ships into Hodeidah Port, people no longer have to queue for days to put fuel in their cars, and people are starting to travel more easily.

In several instances, families, including those displaced multiple times during the conflict and who have been cut off from much-needed aid due to active conflict, can now access it. Following the reopening of Sana’a airport to commercial flights, hundreds of patients in critical need of lifesaving medical treatment outside of the country are finally able to receive it. Others will be able to pursue education and business opportunities overseas or reunite with loved ones.

As organisations working with communities in Yemen, we know families are tired of the fighting and want to get on with their lives. There is still much to do to rebuild from conflict, but the most important step is not having conflict at all. After seven years of fighting, many of the people our staff meet now have hope for better days ahead due to the truce.

The gift for a better life for the people of Yemen is (by the permission of God) in your hands. Don’t let June be the month where fighting resumes, public services fail, and more innocent lives are lost. Let it be the month with even more progress towards lasting peace and a chance for Yemenis to rebuild their lives.

We, the undersigned agencies, urge you to extend the truce agreement, build further on the gains you have made possible over the past two months, and work towards peace for the people of Yemen.

For any questions or to request to interview one of our spokespeople, please contact:

Islamic Relief is a faith-inspired, development and humanitarian agency working to transform and save the lives of some of the most vulnerable people in over 40 countries. Islamic Relief assists people according to need and does not discriminate in any way. 

Set up in Birmingham in 1984 by a group of volunteers, we have assisted over 117 million people all over the world. We’re saving lives and empowering people to lift themselves out of poverty in over 40 countries – from Bangladesh to Bosnia, Pakistan to Palestine, Kenya to Kosovo. Islamic Relief is on the ground in some of the world’s most dangerous and difficult places – including Syria and Yemen – strengthening the most marginalised communities to withstand conflict and natural disasters and to build a brighter future. We also support vulnerable people in the UK in partnership with local charities and organisations.