Yemen is classified as a least-developed country and is ranked 151st of 177 countries in the United Nations Development Programme’s 2005 Human Development Report. It has a gross national income per capita of US$544 per year; economic growth slipped to 2.7 percent in 2004. The population is nearly 20 million, with an annual population growth rate of over 3 percent.Only 3 percent of the land in Yemen is arable. Chronic water shortages and stagnating agricultural production have increased poverty levels in rural areas, where more than 70 percent of the population lives, and there is continued deterioration of core nutrition, health and macro-economic indicators.
Approximately 43 percent of households are generally food-insecure, 22 percent definitely food-insecure and 8 percent food-insecure with severe hunger. Child malnutrition rates are among the highest in the world, with wasting at 12.5 percent and stunting at 53.1 percent for children under 5. Gender gaps in education are high, with illiteracy rates of 72 percent for women and girls compared with 31 percent for men: enrolment rates in primary schools are 61 percent for girls compared with 86 percent for boys.
The country programme strategy addresses WFP Strategic Objectives 3, 4 and 5, and incorporates the relevant WFP Enhanced Commitments to Women.The design of the country programme is based on lessons learned from the previous country programme and the recommendations of evaluation and appraisal missions.
The implementation of two core components will continue:
Activities will target 1,647,000 beneficiaries, providing family take-home food rations. The targeting process for the new country programme has been facilitated by the 2003 Yemen Food Insecurity Vulnerability Information and Mapping Systems. The total WFP budget for the core activities is about US$48 million.
