Famine is looming in war-wracked Yemen, where 16 million people - over half the population - already don't know where their next meal is coming from, David Beasley, Rome-based UN World Food Programme chief, stated on Thursday.
“We’re facing famine in Yemen….there’s 16 million innocent victims of this unnecessary man-made war, struggling to get food every single day," Beasley told the UN Security Council.
Eleven million Yemenis are IPC (Integrated Food Security Phase Classification) level 3 meaning their situation is critical, while five million are at emergency level and 50,000 living in famine-like conditions, Beasley said.
“We’re running out of money as we speak… we need about US$ 860 million just to avert famine. And that’s for six months. We don’t even have half that, Beasley stated.
The lack of funds means WFP will have to cut the current rations that nine million people rely on for daily survival, he said.
“We’re struggling now to feed 13 million people," Beasley underlined.
Unless WFP receives the necessary funding, it expects 80 percent of Yemen's population to immediately start moving into IPC classification levels 3, 4 and 5 - Beasley said.
The great majority of people in Yemen will struggle to get food, fuel and medicines, he predicted.
"It is going to be a catastrophe...we're going to have a catastrophe on our hands," Beasley warned.
