The World Food Programme (WFP) on Monday (March 13th) urged the international community to help prevent a famine in Yemen by providing resources to meet the immediate needs of the severely food insecure.
During a three-day visit to Aden and Sanaa, WPF executive director Ertharin Cousin also pleaded with the warring parties and authorities for access to reach hungry people who will die if they do not receive food and nutrition support.
"Humanitarians and aid workers are making a difference in Yemen as they have prevented Yemen from slipping into a famine until now," Cousin said. "The challenge is that there are areas that are inaccessible where people are severely food insecure. These are the pockets that are at serious risk of people dying of hunger."
Cousin visited nutrition centres, health facilities and food distribution centres, where she met families struggling to feed their children.
She described the situation in Yemen as heartbreaking, with over 17 million food insecure and approximately seven million severely food insecure.
"It is a race against time, and if we do not scale up assistance to reach those who are severely food insecure, we will see famine-like conditions in some of the worst-hit and inaccessible areas, which means that people will die," she said.
"The root cause of the situation in Yemen is a conflict that should end," she added. "We cannot address the food security risks in the country efficiently without peace and security."
WFP has appealed for $950 million to support over seven million people in Yemen this year.
