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Food insecurity increases in Yemen

Aid worker assists a refugee

Food insecurity in Yemen has reached alarming levels and has doubled in two years. 10 million people (44% of the population) are food insecure. The Al Bayda Governorate has the highest level of food insecurity, where the level has reached over 60%.

The basic humanitarian needs are food. The most affected groups are rural children, female-headed households and returnees. There is 32% acute malnutrition among children under 5 in Hodeida, and 967,000 children under 5 suffering global acute malnutrition.

Outbreaks of cholera and diarrhea are expected to again increase with summer. Measles is threatening to become the number one killer of small children and Polio virus incidents are increasing due to low vaccination coverage

There is a lack of affordable and clean water causing malnutrition, and diseases because of poor hygiene practices. The humanitarian need in Yemen is reaching the same scale as the Horn of Africa, threatening the region.

Islamic Relief aims to cover nearly 2 million people with systematic food distribution in the six areas most affected. It is providing a protection operation for internally displaced people, such as camp management and food distribution. It is initiating a new operation in Hudaidah where malnutrition has affected people the most, providing basic health service delivery, emergency nutrition and food security. Urgent funding is required for these projects.