FOOD AID YEMEN - 2023

As the conflict in Yemen enters its eighth year, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) estimates that it has caused the deaths of nearly a quarter of a million people. Millions of Yemenis continue to face the largest humanitarian crisis in the world, with more than half the population facing acute levels of food insecurity. Yemen depends on imports of almost all its food and essential commodities, and the collapse of its currency has led to skyrocketing food and other commodity prices and reduced households purchasing power. Millions of people cannot afford to meet their basic needs.

Acute malnutrition remained a major health problem throughout 2021. Between January and December 2022, it is projected that 2.2 million children will suffer from acute malnutrition, including 538,000 children expected to experience Severe Acute Malnutrition. Furthermore, about 1.3 million pregnant and nursing women are projected to suffer from acute malnutrition in 2022.

Water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) services continue to be severely lacking in Yemen, with 17.8 million people requiring support to meet their basic water and sanitation needs, including 11.2 million in acute need. Access to safe WASH services is available to fewer than a quarter of households in Yemen. 

The countrywide Food Security and Livelihoods Assessment (FSLA) found that some 19.5 million people in Yemen (61 per cent of the population) are without access to safe water and 11.4 million (36 per cent) live with inadequate sanitation. 

In terms of WASH needs, some 386,300 people living in 7 districts are projected to face extreme and catastrophic conditions in 2022. A further 9.4 million people in 317 districts are projected to be in acute need as they endure catastrophic WASH conditions during the same period. 

Access to education for school-aged girls and boys has been impeded by years of conflict, economic decline and COVID-19. Nearly 8.5 million school-aged girls and boys need education assistance. The education system is on the verge of collapse, affecting 6.1 million boys and girls enrolled in formal education. Some 1.42 million internally displaced school-aged children and about 870,000 children with disabilities face serious challenges to access education. (Source: United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA)