Yemen is facing the largest humanitarian crisis in the world as 17 million people – almost two thirds of the population – are critically food insecure and require urgent humanitarian assistance, the International Rescue Committee [IRC] said on Monday.
That’s more than the total number of people are affected by food insecurity in South Sudan [4.9m], Somalia [2.9m] and northeast Nigeria [4.7m] combined. Children are particularly at risk with two million children under the age of five acutely malnourished.
Conflict and insecurity are the main drivers of the situation in Yemen. The war – roiling for nearly two years – has crippled the agricultural sector, driven up unemployment, impeded imports of staple food and humanitarian assistance, and sent food and fuel prices soaring. Ongoing conflict has also made it difficult for aid agencies to reach those in need with lifesaving supplies.
In 2012, political instability led to acute food shortages in Yemen, leaving almost half of the population in need of emergency food assistance. Five years later, warnings have still not been heeded.
Insecurity, severe drought, and an exponential increase in food prices have left 30 million people in Yemen, South Sudan, Somalia, and northeastern Nigeria critically food insecure. A key challenge across these regions is humanitarian access as ongoing violence continues to make it difficult to reach those most in need.
Yemen imports around 90% of staple foods yet the main port of Hodeida faces imminent bombing, which would also cripple humanitarian and commercial operations.
Until earlier this month, the airport in the port city of Aden did not have humanitarian air service which meant that, to travel from the Capital Sana’a to the South, aid workers had to apply for a visa, fly to neighboring Djibouti, then get a 16-hour boat ride across the Red Sea.
Meanwhile, humanitarian flights have resumed into Aden from Djibouti, which will have a significant impact on famine-relief efforts. However, the IRC continues to call for a direct humanitarian air service between Sana’a and Aden.
The IRC reclassified the crisis in Yemen to its highest levels and is scaling up work, working through partners to respond to nutrition and health needs in affected areas in the North and South and distributing cash vouchers for civilians to buy food in places where humanitarian access is less possible.
