September 25, 2017

Situation 

• In Yemen, an estimated 20.7 million people require humanitarian assistance in order to meet their basic needs, including 17.1 million people at risk of severe hunger or starvation, according to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, as of April 2017.
• Due to ongoing conflict, Yemen faces the largest food security emergency in the world, according to the USAID-funded Famine Early Warning Systems Network (FEWS NET). A significant number of people across Yemen face Emergency (IPC 4)* levels of food insecurity. FEWS NET reports that famine is possible in Yemen if food imports drop and/or conflict further restricts markets and humanitarian access.
• The United Nations World Food Program (WFP) estimates that approximately 2 million Yemenis are internally displaced due to conflict, and more than 3.3 million pregnant and lactating women and children are acutely malnourished.

* The Integrated Phase Classification (IPC) is a standardized tool that aims to classify the severity and magnitude of food insecurity. The IPC scale, which is comparable across countries, ranges from Minimal (IPC 1) to Famine (IPC 5).

Response

• To date in Fiscal Year (FY) 2017, USAID’s Office of Food for Peace has contributed more than $369 million to support WFP and other non-governmental (NGO) implementing partners in Yemen, including approximately 375,000 metric tons (MT) of in-kind commodities for WFP emergency food distribution. WFP targets 6.8 million severely food-insecure individuals with in-kind food assistance and food vouchers across 20 governorates in Yemen.

• Since FY 2016, FFP has supported WFP and NGO partners with nearly $567 million in humanitarian assistance, which included more than 496,000 MT of U.S.-sourced wheat, peas, and vegetable oil, as well as support to food voucher programs and therapeutic nutritional products for the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF).

Food for Peace Contributions

Total Contributions:

Note: MT: Metric Ton. Food security situation provided by WFP, OCHA, UNHCR. FY 2017 contribution based on funds obligated to date.