West Coast rapper and Ballina primary school teacher Mich Duffy has launched a fundraising campaign with the target of raising €1 million for the Yemen humanitiarian crisis.

“I am going to give it my best shot,” said the former Mayo soccer star.

"After my father passed away a few months back I wanted to do something to continue his legacy of generosity," he explained.

"I’m aware of the many problems we have on our own doorstep in this country but those problems will never be as bad as the daily struggles that face the poor people of Yemen.

"I know there are so many fundraisers ongoing now, all for good causes so I am asking the people of Ireland to give a minimal amount of €4 and share with one person.

"Before doing this fundraiser, I spoke with Unicef to confirm the money was needed.

"The answer was yes: Yemen hangs by a thread. Acute malnutrition for over two million children means the country is on the brink of Famine, again.

"Add the global pandemic, and the ongoing conflict and the insecurities are unimaginable.

"I then asked, with the conflict, would the money raised go to Unicef staff on the ground.

"The answer, again, was an emphatic yes. Once I heard this, I launched the campaign on October 7.

"Its an ambitious target and I sometimes wonder why I have done this but I will give it my best shot.

"So please, I ask you to DONATE and SHARE ONCE.

"Thank you so much."

He said due to the conflict, many of Yemen's sea ports have been closed, and goods can't get in easily.

"The food that is available is too expensive for families to purchase and approximately 17 million people are in desperate need of food. Please help if you can.

“The UN’s Humanitarian Response Plan for June through December of 2020 is facing a shortfall of more than €2 billion for humanitarian response.

“This is an urgent call for Irish people to come together, to rally around for Yemen. One World: One family.

“In 1847, the Choctaw community in America collected $170 to send to the Irish victims of the Famine – a sum equivalent to approximately €4,000 in today’s money.

“This was incredible generosity considering they had undergone their own hardship 16 years earlier.

"Famine in this day and age is unthinkable so we must respond immediately.

“We are calling on Irish people across the world, in the spirit of the Choctaw tribe, to reach out to Yemen.”

All money raised will go directly to Unicef Ireland and their response team on the ground.