Today, the United States announced nearly $24 million in additional emergency aid to the people of Yemen, who face the world’s largest humanitarian crisis. This funding brings the total humanitarian assistance provided by the U.S. Government for the Yemen response to nearly $721 million since October 2017.

More than 24 million people in Yemen — nearly 80 percent of the population — are in need of humanitarian assistance. The new funding will purchase emergency shelter and relief items, among other supplies, for displaced Yemenis and refugees who are living in Yemen, and support critical coordination and logistics services to ensure aid continues to reach the most vulnerable. This funding complements ongoing U.S.-funded humanitarian assistance activities that reach nearly eight million people each month with health care, safe drinking water, treatment for malnourished children, food, shelter, hygiene kits, and medical supplies to fight the spread of disease.

Nearly 20 million Yemenis do not have access to basic health care, and more than five million are one step removed from famine. Without continuing large-scale international humanitarian efforts, many more would face life-threatening hunger, and could die from preventable disease. It is critical that humanitarian supplies and commercial imports — especially food, fuel, and medicine — flow into and throughout Yemen freely, and without delay, and that humanitarian actors can deliver these goods safely to those in need.

On February 26, 2019, donors met in Geneva to pledge additional funding of $2.6 billion to assist vulnerable Yemenis. The United States is one of the largest donors of humanitarian assistance to the Yemen response and remains committed to helping the people of Yemen. The United States thanks all countries that announced major contributions today, including the significant contributions of Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Kuwait, and calls on other donors around the world to respond to this urgent crisis and its rapidly growing needs.

However, no amount of humanitarian or development assistance will end this conflict and the suffering of millions. An enduring solution will only come through a comprehensive political agreement that allows the people of Yemen to determine a secure and prosperous future.

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FOREIGN MINISTER MINH: (Via interpreter) State Secretary Mike Pompeo, it’s a great pleasure to meet with you again in Vietnam and welcome back. And I still remember last time I met you, I was back from (inaudible) and this time, it is the same. (Laughter.)

And once again, I want to say that it’s a great pleasure to meet with you here in Vietnam and congratulations on the second U.S.-D.P.R.K. summit in Hanoi.

SECRETARY POMPEO: Thank you. It is great to be back. It is very good to see you again. I want to thank you and your whole team and the Vietnamese people for hosting this summit as well. You’ve done remarkable work. It’s a demonstration, I think, of the relationship between our two countries, and I look forward to our conversation today and then the meetings between our leaders tomorrow as well. Thank you.

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The below is attributable to Deputy Spokesperson Robert Palladino:

Secretary Michael R. Pompeo met today with Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh in Hanoi. Secretary Pompeo thanked the Deputy Prime Minister for Vietnam’s partnership in hosting the President’s February 27-28 summit with D.P.R.K. Chairman Kim Jong Un. The Secretary and the Deputy Prime Minister discussed a wide range of bilateral and regional issues. They affirmed the strength of the U.S.-Vietnam Comprehensive Partnership and our joint efforts to promote peace, security, and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region.

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The United States Government confirms the recovery of U.S. Citizen Danny Burch from Yemen.

The United States expresses our deep gratitude to the United Arab Emirates, its people, and its leadership in facilitating the release of Mr. Burch. I applaud the innumerable lines of effort from across the U.S. Government to enable this effort, to include the Special Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs Robert O’Brien, U.S. Embassy Abu Dhabi, and the Hostage Recovery Fusion Cell. These efforts reflect the best of what America and its partners can accomplish.

In 2017, U.S. citizen Danny Burch was taken hostage from Sanaa, Yemen. Today he is safe and secure, and is reunited with his wife and children. The family has asked for privacy as they recover from this ordeal. The safety and well-being of Americans remains one of the highest priorities of the Trump Administration.

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Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary (PDAS) for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Patrick Murphy will travel to the Philippines, New Zealand, and Fiji February 26-March 7.

PDAS Murphy will visit Manila, Philippines February 26-March 1 to support Secretary Pompeo’s visit and meet with Filipino counterparts to discuss issues of mutual interest, in addition to engaging with business and civil society.

March 1-5, he will travel to Wellington, New Zealand to meet with the Ministries of Foreign Affairs and Defense, Parliament, and other leaders to discuss the bilateral partnership and cooperation on Indo-Pacific priorities.

In Suva and Nadi Fiji, March 5-7, PDAS Murphy will meet with senior government officials to discuss regional security, economic development, and environmental resilience. He will give closing remarks at the first “Strengthening the U.S. – Pacific Islands Partnership” conference in Nadi co-sponsored by the Department of State and the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS). He will also participate in the 6th annual Young Pacific Leaders Initiative conference being held this year in Suva. While in Fiji, he will also meet with Peace Corps volunteers.

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