UN report: 64% of Yemen's population does not have enough food

A recent UN report revealed that food insecurity rates in Yemen have risen to record levels, with 64% of the population unable to find adequate food.

The World Food Programme said in a recent report on the food security situation in Yemen for September 2024, “The food security situation in Yemen continues to deteriorate, with 64 per cent of the population across the country facing insufficient food consumption – again the highest level ever recorded by WFP in Yemen.”

He added that 17.6 million people are food insecure (IPC Phases 3-4), including 6 million people in an emergency.

The report stated that as the food security situation continues to deteriorate, levels of severe food deprivation (poor food consumption) have now almost doubled compared to last year in areas under Houthi control, and in areas under the internationally recognized government, the cost of the minimum food basket has reached a historic peak, now increasing by 23 percent year-on-year.

The report explained that the World Food Program completed the distribution of aid in September as part of the rapid emergency response, providing assistance to about 1.4 million people in 34 directorates in areas under Houthi control. In areas under the internationally recognized Yemeni government, the World Food Program began the third food aid cycle for 2024 in September, targeting 3.6 million people.

He pointed out that the programme provided food assistance to 157,000 people affected by floods across the country last September, to cover unmet needs in the affected areas.