Yemen: 6 million people are one step away from famine – New data
While the Houthi militias have thwarted all attempts at a peace deal led by international organizations, and the war led by these coup groups has made Yemen one of the world’s poorest countries, recent data distributed by the UN World Food Program (WFP) shows that 6 million people in the country are only one step away from famine.
The WFP also showed that only 17% were getting their aid funding needs for the next 6 months, pointing out that food insecurity levels are extremely high, and estimates indicate that 6.1 million people are one step away from famine, in phase IV of the International Emergency Classification by late last year, the highest number in any country in the world.
The WFP said in 76 pages that funding for the 6 months between now and September covers only 17%, while funding requirements amount to US$1.15 billion, indicating that it is estimated that 3.5 million people, including 2.3 million children, and 1.3 million pregnant or nursing women and girls, are suffering from acute malnutrition, with signs of further deterioration as the truce’s positive effects are mitigated by shrinking humanitarian space.
“According to the latest food security data released in February, the WFP stated that the prevalence of inadequate food consumption remained stable at the beginning of the year in January compared to the previous month, reporting that nearly half of Yemeni households (49% nationwide) suffered from inadequate food consumption, with very high rates in 15 out of 22 governorates, and noting that the increasingly controversial and fragmented operating environment affected its ability to help those most in need.”
WFP believes the six-month truce across the country provided the longest period of peace since the conflict began, but it has returned to emphasize that the security situation has remained volatile and humanitarian space has decreased, particularly in areas controlled by Houthi putschists.
That had a direct impact on the activities of the Program, and the effects of the conflict between Russia and Ukraine had led to increased requirements, increased operating costs and reduced funding, limiting the scope and scale of the Program’s interventions.
The WFP also confirmed that its ability to provide an initial response was hindered “by a marked increase in attempted intervention, bureaucratic obstacles and delays, as well as movement and access restrictions,” the majority of which were in areas controlled by Houthi rebels.
Of particular concern, the program said, was the “strict and increasing application of practices that restrict women’s freedom of movement”, which has affected women’s access to services, as well as the ability of national female staff in the program to carry out field work.
The WFP has focused most of its available resources on meeting the country’s enormous food needs through unconditional transfers of life-saving resources (public food assistance), preventing and treating malnutrition through an expanded range of nutrition activities, improving children’s food intake and increasing school enrollment through school feeding, protecting livelihoods, building resilience and boosting smallholder agricultural production, the WFP said.
Infectious diseases, as well as limited access to nutrition and health services, have caused one of the highest rates of malnutrition among women and children in the world, the report warned; Integrated Food Security Phase Classification data show that approximately 2.2 million children under five years of age, 1.3 million pregnant women and nursing mothers suffer from severe acute malnutrition, and 3.3 million people, including 1.7 million children, have received food assistance.
According to press reports, Yemen’s losses have doubled to unprecedented levels since 2014 to late 2022, exceeding $190 billion incurred by the country’s economy. These losses are attributed to the war waged by the Houthi militias, who have turned Yemen into one of the world’s poorest countries.
