Escalating fighting in Yemen is deepening the food security crisis

Fighting between Government forces and Houthi rebels along the southwest coast has forced nearly 150,000 people to flee their homes, disrupting markets and limiting access to humanitarian aid.

“What started out as a famine crisis in Yemen could of course escalate into a larger food security crisis far beyond other countries,”Matthew Hollingworth, WFP Assistant Executive Director for Program Operations, to reporters in Geneva.

Families will starve

Yemen was already one of the world’s biggest humanitarian crises and “hunger hot spots” before this escalation escalated. More than 18 million people across the country face acute food insecurity, and around 2.2 million children under five experience acute malnutrition.

Speaking from Rome. Mr. Hollingworth said today, nearly three out of four households in easily accessible areas are unable to meet their basic needs – “record numbers for the year in just a few weeks.”

“People are having a hard time putting food on the table, or having a hard time getting a table if they are forced to evacuate,” he said.

“They skip meals, eat a smaller variety of foods, and face hunger every day.”

Food prices rose sharply, while traders reported limited stocks of wheat flour and disruptions in the supply of vegetable oils, making it difficult for families to buy these goods.

Meanwhile, the influx of refugees puts pressure on existing urban areas and refugee camps. Many arrived at the site after walking for days without water or food.

Improve support

WFP is increasing its operations in Yemen and has helped more than 70,000 people in the two largest “displacement hotspots” in Lahaj and Taiz, by providing hot meals and other assistance.

The UN agency had provided assistance to more than 1.5 million people in government-controlled areas before the escalation occurred.

“We know we can achieve that level of support with the supplies we have, but we are finding it increasingly difficult to get food to areas on the front lines,” said Hollingworth.

The fighting has cut off access to parts of Taiz and Hudaydah, leaving WFP and its partners unable to access some 350,000 people in areas where they once provided aid.

Humanitarian teams cannot work in areas under Houthi control de facto authorities, in line with the operational pause mandated by the UN Secretary General.

Resources are limited, prospects are gloomy

In facing the food security crisis, WFP is utilizing supplies that have been allocated for the broader response in Yemen.

“We’re robbing Peter to feed Paul,” said Hollingworth, stressing the importance of funding to support new refugees and the millions of people who have relied on the agency’s aid over the years.

“If the world does not take immediate action to help Yemen, the prospects will become increasingly bleak,” he warned, as “the consequences of this conflict also extend beyond Yemen.”

At least 3,700 Yemenis have crossed the Bab al-Mandab Strait to seek refuge in Djiboutiwith WFP working with authorities to support the arrival.

Maritime corridors are under pressure

Hollingworth said the Strait is vital for the transport of food, fuel and commercial goods between Asia, the Middle East, Africa and Europe.

“Instability around this corridor risks pushing food prices higher and exacerbating food insecurity in the wider region -world.”

He noted that the Yemeni crisis comes at a time when Bab al-Mandab and two other “important maritime choke points” – the Black Sea and the Strait of Hormuz – are under pressure.

“When these three things are under pressure at the same time, you can add the impact of the super El Niño weather pattern. These consequences will impact food systems everywhere,” he said.

“We’ve said this before, but let me explain it again: the current humanitarian shock and supply chain disruptions could become a global food crisis in the future.”