Saudi, UAE praised for pledging $1 billion aid to Yemen

Geneva - The US extended its "gratitude" to Saudi Arabia and UAE "for their significant contributions to the UN's coordinated response."

Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates drew praise Tuesday at a UN conference for offering $1 billion in aid for Yemen.
The one-day conference co-hosted by Sweden, Switzerland and the United Nations collected pledges totaling $2.01 billion from 40 countries and organizations.
"There are humanitarian obligations that are assumed by countries." UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres told reporters.
"Several countries have already announced that there will be more donations from now until the end of the year," the UN chief said. "So we are quite optimistic."
Guterres added that "as important as the financial contributions to this conference is the commitment of the parties to the conflict to come together to put an end to the war."
He said information gleaned by his new special envoy for Yemen, Martin Griffiths, during a trip to the region led him to believe there were "positive perspectives" that could possibly lead to an "effective intra-Yemeni dialogue" at some point. Guterres cited an "opportunity to be seized."
Iran-allied Houthi rebels has been at war with the Saudi coalition for three years. 
In his prepared remarks, Guterres noted how Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates - who have given military backing to Yemen's government - had generously provided $930 million toward the humanitarian response plan even before the conference began.
The final list of pledges showed that each country had offered $500 million.
The US announced nearly $87 million in additional humanitarian aid, while the European Union pledged 107.5 million Euros in new funding this year.
Thomas Staal, counselor for the US Agency for International Development, or USAID, said the United States extended its "gratitude" to Saudi Arabia and UAE "for their significant contributions to the United Nations' coordinated response."

• MENA