UN warns more than half of Yemenis to go hungry in 2021

The United Nations warned that next year, “more than half of all Yemenis will go hungry,” with “five million people to be living just one step away from famine and about 50,000 people to live in famine like conditions.” 

UN spokesperson Stehane Dujarric told reporters in New York on Wednesday (16 Dec) that the UN response plan Yemen “remains less than half funded.”

 While the total plan calls for a bit more over 3 billion dollars, as of now, it is only 49 percent funded. 

“The current level today is less than half as much as agencies received last year,” Dujarric said. “We're now helping only about 9 million people every month and that's down for a peak of 13 million in the earlier this year.”

Because of the protracted war, currently more than 80 percent of Yemenis need humanitarian assistance and protection.“Next year, more than half of all Yemenis will go hungry, and we expect 5 million people to be living just one step away from famine and about 50,000 people to live in famine like condition,” said Dujarric.

For the United Nations “preventing famine is top priority,” said the spokesperson and added “everyone must do everything they can to prevent famine from taking hold.”

Among the priorities, he listed “increasing humanitarian funding, supporting the economy through foreign exchange injections and pushing for an end to the violence.” 

“The Secretary General has called on everyone to avoid any steps that could make the situation worse,” Dujarric said.