© WFP/Ahmend Basha
Yemen
Even before fighting broke out in early 2015, Yemen was one of the poorest countries in the Arab world. With an average life expectancy below 64, the nation is ranked 178th out of 188 for human development.
Nearly four years of conflict have left thousands of civilians dead and 3 million internally displaced. Its impact on the country’s infrastructure has been devastating, with major overland routes and airports severely damaged.
Despite ongoing humanitarian assistance, 15.9 million people wake up hungry every day. It is estimated that, in the absence of food assistance, this number would go up to 20 million.
What the World Food Programme is doing in Yemen
In-kind food assistance
In 2019, WFP is scaling up to provide 12 million people with monthly food assistance through direct food distributions or vouchers that people can use at retailers in areas where the markets are functioning. Each family of six gets a monthly ration of wheat flour, pulses, vegetable oil, sugar and salt.Cash assistance
WFP plans to gradually increase its cash assistance to 1 million people in 2019. To support this programme WFP is registering beneficiaries on a new biometric platform. Through this system, people will receive cash transfers equivalent to US$12 per person per month, which will inject much-needed liquidity into the economy.Nutrition assistance
In response to high acute, moderate and severe malnutrition rates among children, WFP is providing nutritional support to 1.5 million pregnant and nursing women and children under 5 and will gradually scale up to reach nearly 3 million by the end of 2019.Assistance to refugees
WFP is currently providing food assistance to 8,500 refugees from the Horn of Africa in Kharaz camp in Lahj governorate.School feeding
WFP is targeting 600,000 students across Yemen for the 2018-2019 school year, with plans to expand to 900,000 students upon the start of the new school year in September 2019.Logistics
The WFP-managed UN Humanitarian Air Service (UNHAS) continues to transport humanitarian aid workers between Sana’a, Djibouti and Amman. In addition, the Logistics Cluster facilitates a weekly sea transport shuttle for humanitarian workers between Aden and Djibouti.
In focus
Yemen news releases
Go to pagePartners and donors
Achieving Zero Hunger is the work of many. Our work in Yemen is made possible by the support and collaboration of our partners and donors, including:Find out more about the state of food security in Yemen
Visit the food security analysis pageContacts
Sana'a
Diplomatic Area, Nowakshot Street, House No. 22 P.O. Box 7181 Sana'a - Republic of Yemen
Phone: +967 1 214 100
Fax: +967 1 205 515