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Ahram Online
The World Food Programme (WFP) said in a statement on Wednesday that it was “forced to cut aid to Yemen due to lack of funds” and warned of a surge in hunger in the war-torn country.
“From January, eight million people will receive a reduced food ration, while five million, at immediate risk of slipping into famine conditions, will remain on a full ration”, the United Nation’s WFP agency said.
The WFP’s announcement came following the halt of UN aid flights into Yemen’s rebel-held capital Sanaa, which was imposed by the Saudi-led coalition.
Yemen has been devastated by a civil war between the Saudi-backed government and Iran-backed Houthi rebels since 2014, which pushed millions of civilians to the brink of famine. The fighting has killed tens of thousands, displaced millions and left some 80% of Yemenis dependent on aid.
“Every time we reduce the amount of food, we know that more people who are already hungry and food insecure will join the ranks of the millions who are starving”, said, Corinne Fleischer, the WFP Middle East and North Africa director.
The WFP stated that it needs “$813 Million to continue to help the most vulnerable in Yemen through May and $1.97 Billion during 2022 to continue delivering food to families”.
In March, the UN warned of a “death sentence against Yemen”, after a donor conference yielded less than half the funding needed to prevent the tragedy. It had appealed for $3.85 Billion to pay for urgently needed aid, but only $1.7 Billion was offered at a virtual pledging conference co-hosted by Sweden and Switzerland.
According to the latest UN figures, more than 16 million Yemenis, about half the approximately 30-million population, will face hunger this year. Nearly 50,000 are already starving to death in harsh conditions.
