World Bank warns: Yemenis are suffering from food insecurity
About 17 million Yemenis are Yemenis, the World Bank said; more than half of the country’s population is food insecure; because of the wars and the deteriorating economic situation.
The World Bank, in a report on “Breaking the Cycle of Food Crises in Yemen”, said that a food security preparedness plan has been put in place in Yemen to mitigate the impact of future food crises, Yemen News reported.
“Hunger, food insecurity and malnutrition are among the most pressing challenges in Yemen, exacerbated by the country’s protracted conflict, the report said.”
The devastating war has distorted and inconsistent national and local agricultural policies and led to the spread of major pests, such as desert locusts, recurrent droughts and floods, leading to the steady erosion of agricultural assets in the country.
“Agriculture still has much to offer to help escape the vicious cycle of recurrent crises and chronic poverty that could help move the country down a long-term path of resilience, the World Bank said in its report.”
Climate change poses additional risks in Yemen, especially for the most vulnerable, the Bank said. Over recent years, heavy rains have led to flash floods causing deaths and extensive damage to homes, infrastructure and crops. Water shortages and unpredictable heavy rainfall have damaged already scarce critical infrastructure, contributing to the increased vulnerability of rural populations.
“The Yemeni agriculture sector provides only 15-20 percent of its basic food needs, although it is the backbone of Yemen’s livelihoods.”
An estimated 17 million people, or about 60% of the population, face crisis or conditions of acute food insecurity as of March 2023.
In March, the World Bank announced $207 million to support food security in Yemen, which is facing a crisis of poverty and unemployment that has affected the livelihoods of the majority of the country’s population.
“It has approved additional funding of US$207 million to address chronic food insecurity and malnutrition in Yemen,” the World Bank said in a statement.
