May 26. (EUROPE PRESS) –
Several United Nations agencies have warned that, despite the fact that there has been a “temporary respite” in the first five months of the year, food insecurity is expected to worsen between June and December 2023, for which they have called on donors and partners to contribute investments.
“The United Nations and its partners made progress to roll back the worst food insecurity last year, but these remain fragile and 17 million people still suffer from food insecurity in Yemen,” said the UN humanitarian coordinator in Yemen, David Gressly. .
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the World Food Program (WFP) have issued a new report specifying that food security in the districts under the control of the Government of Yemen has improved slightly during the first five months of the year.
Specifically, between January and May 2021, a total of 3.2 million people experienced high levels of acute food insecurity in these areas, which represents a 23 percent reduction compared to 2022.
However, United Nations agencies have warned in a statement that between June and December of this year it is estimated that the number of people experiencing high levels of food insecurity will increase by 3.9 million, 41 percent more. than in the previous year.
“UNICEF and partners reached some 420,000 children suffering from severe and acute malnutrition with life-saving interventions by 2022. This is the highest number ever reached in Yemen, thanks to the expansion of nutrition services in 4,700 facilities. Despite As a result, malnutrition levels remain critical in many areas of the southern governorates,” said UNICEF Representative in Yemen Peter Peter Hawkins.
For his part, the director of the WFP in Yemen, Richard Ragan, stressed that the situation of food insecurity in the country continues to be “fragile”. “The hard-won gains of the past 12 months will be lost without the continued and urgent support of our donors,” he said.
For all these reasons, the three United Nations agencies have asked partners and donors to collaborate so that they can provide the Yemeni population with “food support, clean water, medical care, protection and security”, as well as other services.