The United States welcomes the arrival of four mobile cranes at Yemen's Hudaydah port. Upon installation, these cranes, purchased by the World Food Programme with U.S. Government funding, will offload essential supplies for the people of Yemen. We expect that the additional capacity of these cranes will cut the typical unloading time for ships in Hudaydah from one week down to three to four days -- which means food, medicine, and other necessities will reach people in need more quickly.

The arrival of the cranes is a positive step toward addressing a dire humanitarian situation. More than 22 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance in Yemen, and the country is simultaneously facing the world's largest food-security emergency and worst cholera outbreak.

The United States urges all parties to continue to allow all humanitarian and commercial goods, including fuel, to flow through Hudaydah and all access points into Yemen, and to be distributed without diversion. Full and unhindered access to goods remains critical to helping the Yemeni people. We also urge all parties to protect civilians, and the aid workers who work at great personal risk to deliver this assistance to them.

Since Fiscal Year 2017, the United States has provided nearly $768 million in humanitarian assistance for Yemen. We remain committed to supporting the Yemeni people, but, ultimately, a political solution to this conflict is the only way to end their suffering and advance long-term stability in Yemen.