US $127 million from World Bank to shore up food security and rural livelihoods in Yemen - 29 July 2021
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), and the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) have welcomed US$127 million in support, provided by the World Bank, for an interagency project to fight the spread of extreme hunger in Yemen. The project will provide rural families with opportunities to build sustainable household food security.

Humanitarian needs in Yemen continue to rise. The country is reeling from the impacts of over six years of incessant conflict and economic disruptions compounded by the COVID-19 pandemic, floods and desert locusts.

Currently, 16.2 million Yemenis face crisis or worse levels of acute food insecurity (IPC Phase 3 and above) according to the latest Integrated Food Security Classification analysis. This includes approximately 47,000 people experiencing catastrophic (IPC Phase 5) levels of food insecurity –famine like conditions.

The World Bank grant will focus on delivering immediate support to vulnerable households through cash-for-work opportunities and nutrition support for mothers and children. The project will also provide targeted livelihoods support aimed at boosting agricultural production in the short term, while enhancing agriculture’s contributions to food security and economic activity over the longer term and building capacity for food security management.

“Food insecurity is one of the most pressing human development challenges facing Yemen. Within the broader context of the ongoing conflict and economic crisis, the combination of a high household dependence on food imports, high food prices, and significantly reduced income are having a devastating impact on people’s lives,” said Tania Meyer, World Bank Country Manager for Yemen. “The World Bank is adopting a multi-sectoral approach to food insecurity. The new Food Security Response and Resilience project is a key piece of this operational package, integrating immediate support to households with medium term interventions aimed at building resilience to future shocks”.