High prices last year aggravated food insecurity among poor households, which were already suffering severe food insecurity, according to a report by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).
World Food Program (WFP) representative in Yemen Giancarlo Cirri was citied as saying Yemen is one of the most food-insecure countries globally and the most food-insecure in the Middle East.
High food prices have negatively impacted on the poor households, especially in rural areas, Giancarlo Cirri said, adding that they will implement a new emergency operation to mitigate the impact of high food prices on the poor families.
“High food prices have affected the entire country. But certain areas which are poorer than others were most affected. These include the governorates of Saada, Amran, Hajjah, Hudeidah, Lahj, Al-Jawf, Al-Baidha, and Hadramaut,” said Cirri.
Yemen imports more than 80 percent of food supplies, producing between 15 and 20 percent only.
According to a document prepared by the FAO, more than 820 million people in developing countries were undernourished as a result of their calorie-deficient diets. It said insufficient calorie consumption often went hand-in-hand with micronutrient malnutrition.