Yemen’s hunger crisis is worsening, with nearly 60 per cent of the population now unable to afford basic food needs, up from about half just a month ago.
The United Nations raised the alarm on Tuesday, warning that the humanitarian situation in the country continues to deteriorate.
UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, Tom Fletcher, appealed for urgent financial support to prevent the crisis from deepening further.
According to him, the number of people facing the most severe levels of hardship has also increased significantly, rising from one in four Yemenis to almost one in three.
Addressing the UN Security Council, Fletcher said that “more than 18 million people over half of Yemen’s population are currently suffering from acute hunger.”
In areas controlled by the government, about five million people are facing severe food shortages, while more than a quarter of residents are living under emergency food insecurity conditions.
Although updated figures are not available for territories controlled by the Houthis, Fletcher stressed that this should not be seen as evidence that humanitarian needs have diminished.
He urged the international community to provide greater financial assistance, noting that “Yemen’s humanitarian response plan has so far received less than 15 percent of the funding required.”
Fletcher also called for continued backing of peace initiatives and appealed for the release of detained UN personnel and other aid workers.
According to him, 73 UN staff members, along with many others, continue to be arbitrarily detained by the Houthi de facto authorities.
Yemen’s humanitarian emergency has been fueled largely by years of conflict that began in 2014 and escalated into a full-scale civil war in 2015.
The prolonged fighting has disrupted food imports, damaged critical infrastructure, weakened essential public services, and contributed to a severe economic downturn.
With the country heavily dependent on imported food, millions of Yemenis remain reliant on humanitarian assistance for survival.
Xinhua/NAN
