Khaberni - More than 30 international and local organizations working in Yemen, said today, Thursday, that Yemen is experiencing the third largest food crisis in the world, as half of the population faces hunger and half of the children under five years old suffer from chronic malnutrition.
The organizations, in a joint statement, explained that "Yemen is witnessing an unprecedented humanitarian crisis," noting that one in every three families faces moderate to severe levels of food insecurity.
The organizations, including "Save the Children," "CARE," "Oxfam," and "the Danish Refugee Council," called for urgent international action to address the worsening hunger crisis in Yemen, urging donors to step up their efforts on the occasion of World Food Day.
The statement pointed out that the provinces of Al Hudaydah and Taiz are facing critical levels of malnutrition, with expectations of severe malnutrition rates increasing by 15 to 30% by 2026, which threatens to undermine the progress achieved in recent years in this area.
It added that the situation is deteriorating at an accelerating pace, predicting that more than 18 million people will suffer from critical levels of hunger at the beginning of next year, including about 41,000 at risk of famine.
The statement also noted that many Yemeni families are forced to make harsh choices to survive, with parents foregoing their meals for their children, or selling their land, livestock, and simple possessions to secure food.
It mentioned that ongoing conflict, economic collapse, water scarcity, and climate fluctuations are all factors driving Yemen towards the specter of famine again, amid restrictions on humanitarian work in the north of the country, which include restricting the movement of women working in the humanitarian field and preventing them from traveling without male accompaniment, thus limiting the population's ability to access aid.
The organizations emphasized the need to address the root causes of food insecurity by ending the conflict, supporting the peace process, enhancing economic recovery efforts, and enabling agriculture and livelihoods that are adaptable to climate change.
Yemen has been facing a devastating war for about a decade between government forces and the Houthi group, resulting in one of the worst humanitarian crises in the world, amid a severe shortage of funding for international relief programs.
