Yemeni official: Ukraine war will exacerbate famine in Yemen
English - Thursday 24 February 2022 الساعة 05:40 pm
Aden, NewsYemen:
An official in the trade and industry sector in Aden warned, on Thursday, of the possibility of a severe crisis in the stocks of goods and foodstuffs in Yemen, which is one of the largest importers of wheat from Ukraine in the region.
Yemen relies on WFP purchases of Ukrainian wheat for humanitarian aid.
The continued escalation of tension between Russia, Ukraine and the West may have serious and catastrophic consequences and risks far beyond the European sphere, reaching the Middle East and other parts of the world," Reuters news agency quoted the head of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Aden, Abu Bakr Baabid, as saying. The world, especially Yemen, which suffers from a severe and complex economic and humanitarian crisis that has never been witnessed before” due to the continuation of the bloody conflict, which will enter its eighth year next month.
He added that the outbreak of war between Russia and the West will exacerbate the hunger and food security crisis in Yemen, which depends on imports for most of its needs and food by 90 percent, due to the decline in oil revenues, which constitute 70 percent of its revenues.
He said that Yemen imports approximately 22 percent of its needs of Ukrainian wheat, in addition to corn, sunflower oil and agricultural sector products, including fertilizers and chemicals.
He added, "This is why the effects of the war are not easy, but rather catastrophic, especially with the deterioration of the Yemeni economy as a result of other factors, such as the instability of the local currency exchange rate, the rise in freight and insurance wages, as well as the global rise in basic materials due to the Corona pandemic and other local reasons."
According to the United Nations relief agencies, the indicators of food insecurity in Yemen are the highest in years, as about 53 percent of the population suffers in the southern governorates under the control of the internationally recognized Yemeni government and 44 percent in the northern regions under the control of the Houthi militia - the Iranian arm in Yemen - From insufficient food.
The Russian-Ukrainian crisis comes at a very difficult time for Yemen, following the announcement by the United Nations and relief agencies that they will reduce and stop humanitarian aid they provide in Yemen, starting next March, due to lack of funding.
