SANAA, Yemen: More than half of households in Yemen are not eating enough due to poor economic conditions and a prolonged pause in food assistance in the rebel-held north, according to the United Nations World Food Program (WFP).
The WFP reports that severe food deprivation has reached unprecedented levels in northern regions such as Al Jawf, Al Bayda, Hajjah, Amran, and Al Hodeidah. The suspension of food aid in December, due to limited funding and lack of agreement with Houthis, has exacerbated the crisis.
Southern Yemen, controlled by the internationally recognized government, is also experiencing historically high levels of food insufficiency. The civil war, which began in 2014, has devastated Yemen’s economy, disrupting exports and devaluing the local currency. The conflict pits Houthis, who control much of northern Yemen including Sanaa.
The south, including Aden, is governed by the Southern Transitional Council (STC), which operates independently but is allied with the recognized government.
Yemen’s economic divide is reflected in the establishment of separate central banks and currencies by the rival governments. As of Monday, the Yemeni riyal depreciated to an all-time low of YER 1,841 to the US dollar in Aden, while remaining stable at YER 530 in Sanaa. Economists attribute the devaluation in STC-controlled areas to low foreign currency reserves and a decline in crude oil revenue, significantly reducing people’s purchasing power.
In May, essential food items were available in markets, but the most vulnerable communities could not afford them, with prices of sugar, vegetable oil, wheat flour, and red beans rising sharply.
