Yemen Food Security Update - September 2017

Almost Three Quarters of Yemen Population Face Starvation as Food Security Continues to Worsen

KEY MESSAGES

• Large-scale acute food insecurity continues worsening. October/November harvest will most likely not offset the local food production deficits. According to FAO cereal production thematic study conducted in seven governorates1 , the cultivated land under rain fed condition decreased by 11%, while irrigated land under cereals decreased by 40% compared with pre – crisis period.
• As of August 2017, 67 districts in 13 governorates are the worst affected by the highest food insecurity, malnutrition and Cholera out of the 95 highly prioritized districts by Food Security/Agriculture and Nutrition clusters.
• 1.25 million Civil servants and their families face destitution, economic pain and poor food purchasing power, as their salaries are irregularly paid for past 11 months.
• An estimate of 3,590,051 MT of key basic food commodities out of which 68% wheat grains, 10.7% Rice and 9% sugar were imported through Al Hodeidah, Assalief, Aden and Al Mukalla sea ports. Compared to the quantities imported during January – August 2017 to same period in 2016, there was an increase of wheat grain imports by 30%.
• Estimated 2.4 million children under the age of five and Pregnant and Lactating women are acutely malnourished and face an increased risk of morbidity and death.
• Outbreak of Cholera further aggravates food insecurity of the vulnerable population. In the last four and half months (since April 2017), around 700,000 cholera cases and 2,091 associated deaths have been reported countrywide.

Original source and full report: FAO.
Published on 30 September 2017