The donor conference on Tuesday which raised US$1.1 billion to bring Yemen back from the brink of famine was about “hard cash and resources” not “pledges and promises”.

That’s according to the UN Resident Coordinator for the war-torn country, Jamie McGoldrick, who said humanitarians needed the money “to start flowing” as soon as possible to meet the “gargantuan” needs of Yemen’s people.

Close to seven million are on the edge of famine, with 19 million in need of assistance; a humanitarian crisis that’s grown out of years of grinding war between government and rebel forces.

The first-ever pledging conference in Geneva on Tuesday was hailed as a “remarkable success” by UN Secretary-General António Guterres.

Mr McGoldrick told Reem Abaza the population was desperate for relief, and outlined where the funds were most needed on the ground.

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