Food Assistance Fact Sheet - Yemen

October 10, 2012

Food Security Situation 

CIA World Factbook

• Political and civil unrest has caused a drastic deterioration of the humanitarian situation in Yemen since January 2011, putting more than half of the country’s 24 million people at risk.  These conditions are exacerbated by rising food and fuel prices and the breakdown of social services. 

• Escalation of the conflict in Abyan has led to the displacement of over 200,000 persons. There are over 500,000 IDPs and 183,000 refugees country-wide.  Today, over 22 percent of the population is unable to produce or buy sufficient food, nearly double the number in 2009. 

• Food security conditions continue to worsen as aid agencies have difficulty delivering food assistance, food prices remain high, and income earning opportunities are limited. A severe fuel shortage has stopped many farmers from irrigating their crops—further compounding food insecurity in some areas.

Food Asssistance Programs

• The Office of Food for Peace (FFP) now targets approximately 719,526 conflict-affected Yemenis, internally displaced persons, and refugees in the Lahj, Abyan, Taizz, Sa’ada, Hajjah, Amran, Shabwa, Aden, and Sana’a regions.

• FFP partners with the UN World Food Program (WFP), Save the Children, Relief International, Mercy Corps, and ADRA on a variety of activities including direct general distribution of food, blanket feeding for children under 5 years, food vouchers, and health and nutrition training.

Food for Peace Contributions

Total Contributions:

Fiscal Year 2012 Contribution Breakdown:

Note: EFSP: Emergency Food Security Program; FY: Fiscal Year, MT: Metric Ton; UNDP: United Nations Development Program; UNHCR: United Nations Refugee Agency; USD: U.S. Dollar; WFP: World Food Program
Food Security Situation information provided by FEWS NET, UNDP, and WFP as of April 2012.