JEDDAH: The World Food Programme (WFP) has welcomed the initiative “Imdaad” of Saudi Arabia and the UAE to bridge the humanitarian needs gap in Yemen and provide additional support amounting to $500 million. According to the WFP, this funding will cover the shortfall in the current humanitarian response, while WFP is helping to increase its operations to deliver lifesaving food aid to 10 million to 12 million severely hungry people, including more than 2 million children. The UN International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) also praised the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center (KSRelief) for the implementation of clean water and sanitation projects in Yemen. AN Jeddah “Thanks to this support from Saudi Arabia, the organization has been able to provide emergency life-saving support for children in the health, food and sanitation sectors in Yemen,” UNICEF said in a statement on its website.