Remittances to Yemen Plummet as Needs Surge Amid War and Coronavirus

Source: ReliefWeb

There has been an unprecedented decline in the flow of remittances to Yemen – a vital source of money for millions - just as cases of coronavirus surge and international aid dries up in a country already devastated by more than five years of war. Oxfam is calling on the international community to ensure funding both for Yemen’s coronavirus response and to address the country’s huge humanitarian needs ahead of a pledging conference taking place virtually on Tuesday (2 June).

Money transfer providers in six governorates across Yemen told Oxfam they had seen the number of remittances drop by as much as 80 per cent between January and April this year as Yemenis working in Gulf states, the UK and the US saw their incomes plummet due to lockdowns and social distancing.