Cairo, June 02, 2020, SPA -- The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) has praised the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia's organizing, in partnership with the United Nations, of the High Level Pledging Event for Yemen 2020 virtually today, to raise awareness on the humanitarian crisis in Yemen and to announce financial pledges to meet basic needs in Yemen. Director of Communication and Knowledge at Regional office for Near East and North Africa (RNE) of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) Muhammad Alaydrous Alhashemi said in a statement to the Saudi Press Agency that the outbreak of cross-border epidemics poses a major challenge, which may increase challenges facing Yemenis, adding that without an urgent solution to the challenges, it would be difficult to improve the state of food insecurity. He also stressed the importance of political stability and restoring peace in the region, especially with the outbreak of coronavirus pandemic that casts a shadow on Yemen, which suffers from shortage of supplies to face the threat of this pandemic. He confirmed that the strategic partnership between FAO and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to support livelihood in Yemen has extended to food sector and chain, stressing that FAO program in Yemen is receiving generous support from Saudi Arabia through different initiatives including supporting poultry production, improving livestock and agricultural production, in addition to the infrastructure rehabilitation of fisheries, noting that many Yemenis have a sustainable source of income as a result of this partnership. He also stated that Yemen faces the threat of desert locusts and this problem persists and needs urgent financial and logistic supplies. He confirmed that there is a lot of work to be done to improve food security in light of weak infrastructure, and poor conditions of health and economy in Yemen, noting that with the efforts of the international community through this conference, there is what can be done for humanity and to improve the conditions in Yemen. --SPA 15:07 LOCAL TIME 12:07 GMT 0014 www.spa.gov.sa/w1341603