NRC: Hunger crisis accelerating under Covid-19 in Yemen

The Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) on Wednesday warned against a worsened food crisis in Yemen amid Covid-19 spread, with one in every four families is at risk of famine.

One in every vulnerable families have lost all income and half have seen their incomes drop by over 5- percent, a new NRC survey reveals.

Millions of Yemenis already facing dangerous levels of hunger are being pushed into deeper poverty since Covid-19 hit the conflict-ravaged country.

A staggering 94 percent of families reported food as a top concern and almost half of respondents said they lost at least half of their income, just as prices for food and water also went up.

As global leaders discuss Covid-19 recovery package for wealthy economies, NRC is calling for even a fraction of these same efforts to be directed towards Yemen, in the form of a cash injection to stabilize the economy, a restoration of aid funding, and an end to the restrictions on imports.

“The coronavirus pandemic, coming on top of a lethal confluence of other challenges, has accelerated the misery of the poorest nation in the region, with more families already in poverty earning even less and facing more hunger,” says NRC’s country director in Yemen.

“The families we spoke to were already on the edge of survival and now almost all of them tell us their situation is worse,” Mohamed Abdi added.

“Never before have Yemenis faced so many threats at once, and all this at the highest of a devastating pandemic.

“Yemen needs a rescue package. And there must be a ceasefire. The fact that airstrikes and bullets are still continuing even now is outrageous.

“Countries complicit in funding and supporting this war must stop funning the flames, and help silence the weapons once and for all,” NRC official added.