The security and humanitarian situation is progressively deteriorating in Yemen, according to the World Food Program (WFP) which raised concerns about the deterioration of food security in Yemen due to political instability and violence.

Alongside the increasing insecurity, the prices of basic food commodities including sugar, wheat flour, vegetables have gone up of 50% and the price of bread has doubled in the last six months according to WFP. “Rising food prices and political instability have left millions of people in Yemen hungry and vulnerable,” said Josette Sheeran, executive Director of WFP. The humanitarian agency is currently assisting half a million displaced and war-affected people in Yemen.

In a speech to the UN Security Council about the situation in Yemen (October 11), the Secretary-General’s Special Adviser on Yemen, Jamal Benomar, declared that “The security situation has deteriorated very dramatically…five or six provinces are out of government control’’.

The volatile security situation in Yemen has made the humanitarian intervention very difficult for UN humanitarian agencies. ValerieAmos, the UN Emergency Relief Coordinator noted that “Insecurity has forced UN agencies and other humanitarian organizations to cut back their staff or leave.” In addition, a shortfall in funding for WFP's food aid programs has forced the program to downscale food distributions in the country.