"The Republic of Korea has contributed USD 400,000 to IOM to provide support to internally displaced persons (IDPs) and other conflict-affected communities in Yemen," IOM said in a statement.
The funds will be used to operate three mobile clinics servicing some 27,000 internally displaced Yemenis, almost half of these children, according to the statement.
Each clinic is staffed with one doctor, an assistant, a nurse and a midwife.
“Thanks to the Korean contribution, IOM will be able to increase its response to the most vulnerable Yemenis in the country. Such support is welcome at a time when winter is affecting most families in Yemen and when the health infrastructure is facing immense pressures with a lack of medical supplies and resources,” IOM Yemen Chief of Mission Laurent de Boeck was quoted as saying in the statement.
The amount is almost half of total South Korean donations pledged to Yemen. Earlier in the day, the country's Foreign Ministry said the government is offering $1 million in humanitarian aid to Yemen via various international organizations. These include the IOM, as well as the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).
In 2015, South Korea gave the same amount to alleviate suffering in the Middle Eastern country.
Yemen has been engulfed in a violent conflict between government forces and the Houthi rebels since 2015. In March that year, the Saudi-led coalition became involved on the side of the government and began carrying out airstrikes against the Houthis. At least 13 million Yemenis are now in need of immediate aid, according to the United Nations.
