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News > World

16 Million Yemenis to Face Hunger Soon, WFP Warns

  • A Yemenese child, 2021

    A Yemenese child, 2021 | Photo: Twitter/ @Editoryemen

Published 24 September 2021
Opinion

This country is experiencing the world's worst humanitarian crisis. Every 10 minutes, a Yemeni child dies from lack of food and good nutrition.

On Wednesday, the World Food Programme (WFP) Director David Beasley urged countries to support Yemen because the his agency's food assistance can run out quickly.

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Currently, Yemen is experiencing the worst humanitarian crisis in the world. Yet, WFP response plan for this year has half of the nearly US$4 billion needed to solve it.

"We are not at all close to 2019 funding levels. Back then we received US$3.6 billion, almost 90 percent of what we required," said Martin Griffiths, who was appointed by UN Secretary Antonio Guterres as Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator.

Beasley reported that 16 million people would soon be suffering from hunger in Yemen. Due to WFP's reduced budget, rations for 3.2 million people will have to be cut by October and for 5 million people by December.

He also focused on the problem of hunger among children. Every 10 minutes, a Yemeni child dies from lack of food and good nutrition. If his organization does not receive "in the next six months the resources it needs... by the time WFP starts cutting rations, there could be 400,000 children under the age of five dying in 2022”.

In view of these severe warnings, the international community committed about an additional US$600 million to address the humanitarian crisis in Yemen.

Oxfam's Director in Yemen Muhsin Siddiquey praised donor countries and expressed hope that funds would be quickly available to aid organizations. However, more money is still needed to provide aid that can realistically save Yemenis from hunger.

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