São Paulo – Food price hikes and conflicts between the government and armed groups may cause the number of Yemeni people in food insecurity situation to increase even further. According to information from UN Radio, half the 24.7 million Yemenis already suffer from lack of food, and “hundreds of thousands” are homeless.
“A large part of the country is facing food insecurity, malnutrition, lack of safe water, inadequate health services and displacement of civilians. Humanitarian organizations are warning that the rising global food prices could further threaten the food security in Yemen where half the population is considered food insecure,” the United Nations spokesperson in Geneva, Corinne Momal-Vanian, said this Friday (21st). She cited a World Bank survey according to which food prices were up 7% from April to July this year.
Still according to UN Radio, food insecurity is worsening due to the large number of homeless people. According to the latest estimates, 545,000 people are shelterless.
These people were rendered homeless mainly due to conflicts between the Yemeni government and rebel groups. Yemen is one of the Arab countries which staged protests and a change of government. The other countries whose leaders were replaced during the Arab Spring were Egypt, Tunisia and Libya.
*Translated by Gabriel Pomerancblum
