Overview:
From October to December 2020, 13.5 million people (45% of the analysed population) are facing high levels of acute food insecurity (IPC Phase 3 or above), despite ongoing humanitarian food assistance (HFA). This includes 9.8 million people (33% of the analysed population) in Crisis (IPC Phase 3), 3.6 million (12% of the anaylsed population) in Emergency (IPC Phase 4), and of greatest concern, approximately 16,500 people in Catastrophe (IPC Phase 5). Between January and June 2021, the number increases by nearly 3 million to 16.2 million people (54% of the total population analysed) likely to experience high levels of acute food insecurity (IPC Phase 3 or above). Out of these, an estimated 11 million people will likely be in Crisis (IPC Phase 3), 5 million in Emergency (IPC Phase 4) and the number of those in Catastrophe (IPC Phase 5), will likely increase to 47,000.
Key Drivers:
- Conflict is the principal driver of food insecurity in Yemen leading to widesprea displacement, humanitarian access constraints, disruption of public services, portsblockade and restrictions, fuel crisis and economic disruption. Without a permanent solution, it is unlikely that all other mitigation measures will have long-lasting effects.
- Economic Shocks: High food prices, unaffordable minimum food basket and increasing depreciation of the Yemeni riyal against the US dollar has impacted nearly all households, as the country relies mainly on imports. As the cost of food becomes unreachable, many households adopt negative coping strategies to access food.
- Reduced Foreign Reserves: Reduced direct foreign investments, a shortfall in humanitarian funding and a pause in remittances has led to a liquidity crisis and depreciation of the riyal to unprecedented levels. Reductions in humanitarian food assistance, due to funding shortfalls, has led to increased levels of vulnerability for the majority of the population, who rely on humanitarian assistance.
De-escalation of Violence and Ceasefire: Urgent cessation of conflict to protect lives and livelihoods, immediate lifting of the ports blockade and restrictions to expedite the movement of goods and easeprices, and unrestricted humanitarian access to reach the most vulnerable households, including marginalized persons.
Life-saving Humanitarian Assistance: Urgent funding of humanitarian assistance is required to scale-up of assistance to save lives and livelihoods of the most vulnerable Yemenis in need.
Injection of Foreign Currency Reserves: To stabilise the exchange rate and bolster liquidity within the economy, an injection of foreign currency reserves is swiftly required. Famine was prevented two years ago when member states and donors provided urgently-needed resources, and we can do it again.
Livelihood Diversification: Scale up of livelihood diversification programmes for the populations in need of assistance to increase their already eroded resilience and stop them from slipping into worse conditions.