Yemen's commercial food imports are at a record low, driving up the cost of staples in what is now the world's largest food security crisis, the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) said Wednesday (May 3rd).
According to the NRC, a non-governmental organisation, commercial food imports are at an "all-time low, driving the price of basic commodities to rise on average by a third", AFP reported.
"This makes Yemen the largest food security crisis in the world," said NRC secretary general Jan Egeland. "Nowhere on earth are as many lives at risk."
He described the current situation as "a gigantic failure of international diplomacy" and appealed for those with influence to broker a ceasefire and encourage a return to the negotiating table.
The UN has warned that 17 million Yemenis – 62% of the population -- are unable to access food, and that a third of the country's provinces are on the brink of famine.
