PHOTO: AP
DECEMBER 8th 2018
By Patryk Krych | The World Daily
Threat of Famine in Yemen, Food Survey Says
According to a survey taken recently and publicised on Saturday, many residents of Yemen are in deep danger of suffering a famine, what with the ongoing conflicts between the government and the Houthi rebels. The collapse of the economy is in no small part to blame for the country’s hunger problem, with over 53% of Yemen’s population having to deal with “severe acute food insecurity”, as the survey names it. This rounds to about 15.9 million people, in the country’s population.
The United Nations were responsible for the release of this report, around the time that they’d managed to arrange and bring together Yemen’s Houthi rebels and military forces for peace talks; the first peace talks they’d managed to successfully arrange in the past 2 years. The report was made to put more stress on the need for peace, with the dangers of many innocent civilians suffering from famine if something isn’t done soon to make amends.
Humanitarian groups have expressed similar beliefs; that it is indeed only peace that can bring an end to the many crises the county is presently forced to deal with. A report made note that food aid isn’t nearly enough to help solve the issue, with war being only one of the many factors contributing to the hunger crisis.
Yemen is facing an extreme price rise on foods, what with the heightened unemployment rates, levels if liquidity, and many, many disrupted livelihoods. Food aids are still working in the country of course, and many are hoping that the problems can be at least somewhat discussed at the peace talks, but many remain insecure and uncertain.
The report itself stated that “Immediate responses are required to save lives and livelihoods of millions not to slide to the next worse case which is famine.”
Using the international IPC system, the survey had been conducted by Yemeni officials and international experts. The system uses a sort of five point scale, with each higher point symbolising a greater and greater threat; a system where 3 is “crisis”, 4 is “emergency” and 5 is “catastrophe” and most likely famine.
More than one million people in a crisis situation or worse were each focused within the governorates of Hodeidah, Amanat Al Asimah, Dhamar, Hajjah, Ibb and Taiz. 13 governates are expected to go into a major food crisis if there is no intervention from humanitarian aid groups soon.
By Patryk Krych | The World Daily
