Scotland is to contribute  £300,000 to help those suffering in conflicts in Syria, Yemen and South Sudan / northern Uganda.

The Scottish Government’s Humanitarian Emergency Fund (HEF), allocates the funding to aid agencies working in  conflict areas.

Yemen

UNICEF estimates that thousands of children have been killed and injured in the conflict in Yemen where a Saudi- UAE coalition has been on a bombing spree where they are backing the President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi. The UN has described it as “the world’s gravest humanitarian crisis”.

Airstrike in Yemen By Almigdad Mojalli via Wikimedia Commons

Henrietta Fore, executive director of UNICEF said:

“Since 2015, more than half of health facilities have stopped working, and 1,500 schools have been damaged due to airstrikes and shelling,”

“There is no justification for this carnage.”

Saudi Arabia purchases  a massive amount of armaments from the UK – hundreds of millions in pounds. The sales include  Storm Shadow and Brimstone air-to-surface missiles and Paveway IV bombs. The Hi-tech military equipment is being used in Yemen where the indiscriminate campaign of carnage has brought the country to a point where its infrastructure has broken down.

The Humanitarian Fund from the Scottish Government whilst welcomed will be a mere fragment in what is needed as the UK makes £billions from the Arms sales.

Fiona Hyslop, External Affairs Secretary in the Scottish Government  said:

“The conflicts in Syria, Yemen and South Sudan have caused terrible suffering. It has led to the large scale displacement of local populations, with severe humanitarian consequences and an urgent need for assistance from the rest of the world.

“We want Scotland to be a good global citizen and our Humanitarian Emergency Fund aims to provide emergency life-saving aid to those most in need.

“Our HEF panel member agencies are ready to provide in-country support to the innocent people caught up in these conflicts, many of whom are children. This financial support will help to provide much needed assistance.”