A view of the old quarter of Sanaa, Yemen November 14, 2018. (Reuters photo)

RIYADH, Nov. 20 (Xinhua) -- Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on Tuesday launched "Imdaad" initiative with a budget of 500 million U.S. dollars for war-torn Yemen, Saudi Press Agency reported.

The two countries will equally contribute to the initiative's budget, Abdullah Al Rabeeah, general supervisor of King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center, told a press conference on Tuesday.

Al Rabeeah said that the "Imdaad" initiative aims to deal with the food crisis in Yemen, meet urgent food need and alleviate the suffering of Yemeni people and ensure their access to food.

Saudi Arabia and the UAE, the leading members in the military coalition involved in Yemeni war against Houthis, launch the initiative to support 10-12 million affected Yemenis.

The four-year-long war in Yemen has killed more than 10,000 people, mostly civilians, displaced three million others and pushed the country to the brink of famine.