<p>Due to a lack of funds, the World Food Programme has cut aid to Yemen and warned of an increase in hunger in the war-torn country. &nbsp;</p>

<p>"From January, eight million will receive a reduced food ration, while five million at immediate risk of slipping into famine conditions will remain on a full ration," the United Nations agency said in a statement, adding that it was "running out of funds". &nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/as-yemen-conflict-drags-on-riyal-falls-to-all-an-time-low-1703-for-every-us-dollar-434518">As Yemen conflict drags on, Riyal falls to all an time low; 1703 for every US dollar</a></strong></p>

<p>Since 2014, Yemen has been ravaged by a civil war between a government-backed by Saudi Arabia and Houthi rebels backed by Iran. Millions of civilians are facing famine.</p>

<p>As a result of the fighting, tens of thousands of Yemenis have died, millions have been displaced and about 80 per cent are dependent on aid.</p>

<p>"Every time we reduce the amount of food, we know that more people who are already hungry and food insecure will join the ranks of the millions who are starving," said WFP Middle East and North Africa director Corinne Fleischer, according to the statement.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"But desperate times call for desperate measures and we have to stretch our limited resources and prioritise, focusing on people who are in the most critical state."</p>

<p>According to WFP, it needs $813 million to help the most vulnerable in Yemen through May, and $1.97 billion during 2022 to keep feeding families on the verge of famine.</p>

<p><strong>Also read&nbsp; |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/opinions-blogs/when-will-we-see-an-end-to-the-war-in-yemen-377218">When will we see an end to the war in Yemen?</a></strong></p>

<p>Following a donor conference that yielded less than half of the funds needed to prevent famine, the UN warned of a "death sentence" for Yemen in March.</p>

<p>The organisation had pleaded for $3.85 billion to pay for urgently needed aid, but only $1.7 billion was pledged at a virtual pledging conference co-hosted by Sweden and Switzerland.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Last year, reduced humanitarian budgets forced the closure of many programmes, such as health services and food distribution. This added hardship to a country the UN has described as the world's worst humanitarian crisis.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Almost half of Yemen's 30 million residents, or more than 16 million people, will suffer from hunger this year, according to the latest UN figures. Over 50,000 people are already starving to death in famine-like conditions.</p>

<p>Following airstrikes by the Saudi-led coalition supporting the government, UN aid flights have been halted into Yemen's rebel-held capital of Sanaa.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Saudi Arabia has largely halted flights into Sanaa airport since August 2016, but there have been exceptions for aid flights that are essential to the population.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>Watch |&nbsp;The humanitarian situation worsens in Yemen</strong></p>

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/the-humanitarian-situation-worsens-in-yemen-436205/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

<p>"The Yemeni people are now more vulnerable than ever, reeling from relentless conflict and the deepening economic crisis that has pushed millions into destitution," said Fleischer.</p>

<p>"WFP food stocks in Yemen are running dangerously low at a time when budgets for humanitarian crises around the world are stretched to the limit."&nbsp;</p>

<p>"We desperately need donors, who were so generous in the past, to work with us to avoid this looming hunger catastrophe."</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from agencies)</em></p>


Due to a lack of funds, the World Food Programme has cut aid to Yemen and warned of an increase in hunger in the war-torn country. "From January, eight million will receive a reduced food ration, while five million at immediate risk of slipping into famine conditions will remain on a full ration," the United Nations agency said in a statement, adding that it was "running out of funds".

Due to a lack of funds, the World Food Programme has cut aid to Yemen and warned of an increase in hunger in the war-torn country. "From January, eight million will receive a reduced food ration, while five million at immediate risk of slipping into famine conditions will remain on a full ration," the United Nations agency said in a statement, adding that it was "running out of funds". Also read | As Yemen conflict drags on, Riyal falls to all an time low; 1703 for every US dollar Since 2014, Yemen has been ravaged by a civil war between a government-backed by Saudi Arabia and Houthi rebels backed by Iran. Millions of civilians are facing famine. As a result of the fighting, tens of thousands of Yemenis have died, millions have been displaced and about 80 per cent are dependent on aid. "Every time we reduce the amount of food, we know that more people who are already hungry and food insecure will join the ranks of the millions who are starving," said WFP Middle East and North Africa director Corinne Fleischer, according to the statement. "But desperate times call for desperate measures and we have to stretch our limited resources and prioritise, focusing on people who are in the most critical state." According to WFP, it needs $813 million to help the most vulnerable in Yemen through May, and $1.97 billion during 2022 to keep feeding families on the verge of famine. Also read | When will we see an end to the war in Yemen? Following a donor conference that yielded less than half of the funds needed to prevent famine, the UN warned of a "death sentence" for Yemen in March. The organisation had pleaded for $3.85 billion to pay for urgently needed aid, but only $1.7 billion was pledged at a virtual pledging conference co-hosted by Sweden and Switzerland. Last year, reduced humanitarian budgets forced the closure of many programmes, such as health services and food distribution. This added hardship to a country the UN has described as the world's worst humanitarian crisis. Almost half of Yemen's 30 million residents, or more than 16 million people, will suffer from hunger this year, according to the latest UN figures. Over 50,000 people are already starving to death in famine-like conditions. Following airstrikes by the Saudi-led coalition supporting the government, UN aid flights have been halted into Yemen's rebel-held capital of Sanaa. Saudi Arabia has largely halted flights into Sanaa airport since August 2016, but there have been exceptions for aid flights that are essential to the population. Watch | The humanitarian situation worsens in Yemen "The Yemeni people are now more vulnerable than ever, reeling from relentless conflict and the deepening economic crisis that has pushed millions into destitution," said Fleischer. "WFP food stocks in Yemen are running dangerously low at a time when budgets for humanitarian crises around the world are stretched to the limit." "We desperately need donors, who were so generous in the past, to work with us to avoid this looming hunger catastrophe." (With inputs from agencies)

Food aid to Yemen to be cut due to lack of funds: WFP

<p>The United Nations aid chief warned that Yemen was sliding deeper into humanitarian crisis and could face famine this year.</p>

<p>The poor Arab country has been engulfed in war since a Saudi-led coalition launched a bombing campaign in March 2015 to push back Iran-backed Houthi rebels who had seized the capital Sanaa and other cities.</p>

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<p>&quot;The conflict in Yemen is now the primary driver of the largest food security emergency in the world,&quot; Stephen O&#39;Brien, the UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, told the Security Council yesterday.</p>

<p>&quot;If there is no immediate action, famine is now a possible scenario for 2017.&quot;</p>

<p>About 14 million people -- nearly 80 per cent of the entire Yemeni population -- are in need of food aid, half of whom are severely food insecure, O&#39;Brien said.</p>

<p>At least 2 million people need emergency food assistance to survive, he added.</p>

<p>The situation is particularly dire for children with some 2.2 million infants now suffering from acute malnourishment -- an increase of 53 per cent from late 2015.</p>

<p>&quot;Overall, the plight of children remains grim: a child under the age of 10 dying every 10 minutes of preventable causes,&quot; O&#39;Brien said.</p>

<p>The Saudi-led coalition&#39;s shutdown of the Sanaa airport has had a heavy toll on civilians because medicine cannot be flown in and Yemenis cannot receive treatment abroad.</p>

<p>O&#39;Brien warned that Yemen could run out of wheat within months because foreign banks no longer accept financial transactions with many of the country&#39;s commercial banks.</p>

<p>The country is almost entirely dependent on imports, most of which transit through the Hudaydah port, which was bombed by the coalition in 2015.</p>

<p>O&#39;Brien said the Saudi-led coalition had ordered a vessel carrying four mobile cranes for the port to leave Yemeni waters and it was now awaiting approval from Riyadh to deliver the new equipment.</p>

<p>The cranes will boost the port&#39;s capacity to handle humanitarian cargo.</p>

<p>The United Nations is calling for a ceasefire in Yemen to allow urgently needed deliveries of humanitarian aid and to resume political talks on ending the war.</p>

<p>About 10,000 civilians have died in the war, according to UN officials.</p>

<p>Returning from talks in the region, UN envoy Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed took a swipe at Yemen&#39;s President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi for rejecting his peace proposals.</p>

<p>(AFP)</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>


The country has been engulfed in war since March 2015

The United Nations aid chief warned that Yemen was sliding deeper into humanitarian crisis and could face famine this year. The poor Arab country has been engulfed in war since a Saudi-led coalition launched a bombing campaign in March 2015 to push back Iran-backed Houthi rebels who had seized the capital Sanaa and other cities. The UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs told the Security Council that nearly 80% of the population is in need of food aid × "The conflict in Yemen is now the primary driver of the largest food security emergency in the world," Stephen O'Brien, the UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, told the Security Council yesterday. "If there is no immediate action, famine is now a possible scenario for 2017." About 14 million people -- nearly 80 per cent of the entire Yemeni population -- are in need of food aid, half of whom are severely food insecure, O'Brien said. At least 2 million people need emergency food assistance to survive, he added. The situation is particularly dire for children with some 2.2 million infants now suffering from acute malnourishment -- an increase of 53 per cent from late 2015. "Overall, the plight of children remains grim: a child under the age of 10 dying every 10 minutes of preventable causes," O'Brien said. The Saudi-led coalition's shutdown of the Sanaa airport has had a heavy toll on civilians because medicine cannot be flown in and Yemenis cannot receive treatment abroad. O'Brien warned that Yemen could run out of wheat within months because foreign banks no longer accept financial transactions with many of the country's commercial banks. The country is almost entirely dependent on imports, most of which transit through the Hudaydah port, which was bombed by the coalition in 2015. O'Brien said the Saudi-led coalition had ordered a vessel carrying four mobile cranes for the port to leave Yemeni waters and it was now awaiting approval from Riyadh to deliver the new equipment. The cranes will boost the port's capacity to handle humanitarian cargo. The United Nations is calling for a ceasefire in Yemen to allow urgently needed deliveries of humanitarian aid and to resume political talks on ending the war. About 10,000 civilians have died in the war, according to UN officials. Returning from talks in the region, UN envoy Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed took a swipe at Yemen's President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi for rejecting his peace proposals. (AFP)

UN: Yemen could face famine in 2017

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Food aid to Yemen to be cut due to lack of funds: WFP

UN: Yemen could face famine in 2017