Government official: Yemen loses 5% of its agricultural land annually due to desertification and conflicts

The Yemeni government has warned of the loss of up to 5% of agricultural land annually due to climate change, overgrazing, armed conflicts, and mismanagement of water resources.

This came during a speech delivered by the Minister of Water and Environment, Tawfiq Al-Sharjabi, in a special session organized by Saudi Arabia on "Aligning Yemeni National Strategies and Supporting Efforts to Combat Desertification", on the sidelines of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention to Combat Desertification (COP16) held in Riyadh.

According to Saba News Agency, Al-Sharjabi explained that desertification is one of the biggest environmental crises that hinders sustainable development and threatens food security in Yemen.

He explained that the country loses between 3% and 5% of its agricultural land annually, due to a number of factors, most notably climate change, deforestation and conflicts.

The Minister called on donors, including governments and international institutions, to enhance cooperation with the Yemeni government to confront the risks of desertification, by meeting urgent development needs, in light of the current challenges that threaten the country's future.