While anti-government protests continue in the streets of Yemen’s capital Sana’a and hope for change fills the hearts of the people, their stomachs are often left empty. With record global food price increases in February, and decreasing oil production and revenue in Yemen, its population has been thrown into a new cycle of food insecurity and poverty, which experts warn, might lead to dire consequences, if it continues for a long time.
Even before the uprisings, Yemen, a country of 24 million people, had the highest poverty rate in the Middle East and North Africa, and is among the 10 most food-insecure countries in the world, according to the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI). Given that Yemen imports between 70 and 90 percent of its food, mostly cereals, it is highly vulnerable to global food prices fluctuations.
Since the anti-government protests began back in early February, prices, which had been rising for two years already, have continued to escalate. Most basic food items such as rice, canned food, flour, sugar, oils, and meat have risen by up to 10 percent.
In March, the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) food price index registered an overall decline of 2.9 percent from its peak in February. In spite of that, prices in Yemen have continued to rise.
“It was bad before, but it is worse now. People just do not have money to buy food,” said Clemens Breisinger, expert of IFPRI in Washington.
About 80 percent of the population can afford only one meal per day, which typically costs around 350 Yemeni rial (about US$1.60), according Dr. Fuad Aldomy, FAO representative in Yemen.
Even before the uprisings, Yemen, a country of 24 million people, had the highest poverty rate in the Middle East and North Africa, and is among the 10 most food-insecure countries in the world, according to the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI). Given that Yemen imports between 70 and 90 percent of its food, mostly cereals, it is highly vulnerable to global food prices fluctuations.
Since the anti-government protests began back in early February, prices, which had been rising for two years already, have continued to escalate. Most basic food items such as rice, canned food, flour, sugar, oils, and meat have risen by up to 10 percent.
In March, the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) food price index registered an overall decline of 2.9 percent from its peak in February. In spite of that, prices in Yemen have continued to rise.
“It was bad before, but it is worse now. People just do not have money to buy food,” said Clemens Breisinger, expert of IFPRI in Washington.
About 80 percent of the population can afford only one meal per day, which typically costs around 350 Yemeni rial (about US$1.60), according Dr. Fuad Aldomy, FAO representative in Yemen.
“People decreased their food intake and the staple food is bread. They have not changed their normal diet, but decreased the amount,” wrote Dr. Aldomy in an e-mail.
Emad Qayed Ab Garash, deputy executive director of the Yemeni Organization for Defending Rights and Freedoms, says that price increases have always been attributed to global factors, but he blames the government. According to him, prices are “subject to the mood of the government, which does not justify the even higher prices.”
And while the situation is worrying across Yemen, because of the lack of standardized pricing, it’s even worse in the countryside compared to the cities like Aden, Hodeidah, Amran and Sana’a. In fact, Ab Garash says that the government intentionally does not control prices—which results in merchants raising prices at will to keep up with inflation—in order to pressure people to stop demonstrating.
In rural areas, prices have jumped between 20 to 50 percent of what they were before the uprisings began.
Emad Qayed Ab Garash, deputy executive director of the Yemeni Organization for Defending Rights and Freedoms, says that price increases have always been attributed to global factors, but he blames the government. According to him, prices are “subject to the mood of the government, which does not justify the even higher prices.”
And while the situation is worrying across Yemen, because of the lack of standardized pricing, it’s even worse in the countryside compared to the cities like Aden, Hodeidah, Amran and Sana’a. In fact, Ab Garash says that the government intentionally does not control prices—which results in merchants raising prices at will to keep up with inflation—in order to pressure people to stop demonstrating.
In rural areas, prices have jumped between 20 to 50 percent of what they were before the uprisings began.
In Sa‘adah City, for example, in the northwest near the Saudi Arabia border, since 2004 there have been six rounds of violent conflict between the government and the Al-Houthi insurgent group. The violence displaced as many as 300,000 people. In late March, after a year of a peaceful ceasefire, the conflict re-erupted resulting (for the first time) with the Al-Houthi taking control of Sa’adah City, and by extension the rest of the Sa'adah governorate.
“The turbulent situation has caused a spike in food prices. WFP expects that the prices will realign with the rest of the country’s market prices soon,” wrote Georgia Warner, World Food Program (WFP) officer in Yemen.
The current crisis in Yemen has caught the attention of many humanitarian organizations, which have cooperated with the Yemeni government to design a national strategy for food security. Although the document was approved by the government earlier this year, it has been put on hold because of the political crisis.
“We are encouraging all the players to turn their attention back to that issue,” said a humanitarian worker who agreed to speak on the condition of anonymity.
Read More...Urgent Actions and Gloomy Prospects
“The turbulent situation has caused a spike in food prices. WFP expects that the prices will realign with the rest of the country’s market prices soon,” wrote Georgia Warner, World Food Program (WFP) officer in Yemen.
The current crisis in Yemen has caught the attention of many humanitarian organizations, which have cooperated with the Yemeni government to design a national strategy for food security. Although the document was approved by the government earlier this year, it has been put on hold because of the political crisis.
“We are encouraging all the players to turn their attention back to that issue,” said a humanitarian worker who agreed to speak on the condition of anonymity.
Read More...Urgent Actions and Gloomy Prospects
He warned of the need for urgent actions and depicted gloomy prospects.
“We see that the consequences are already starting to be felt by the most vulnerable people and the threat is that it will push more people into a situation where they struggle for their food. And if this goes on for a long time, these people who suffer from malnutrition will go beyond the dramatic levels they already have.”
“We have not seen as dire a situation as it could yet get. But what we have already seen is that the currency started to collapse and the economy is put under further pressure. These are the warning signs we see,” he said.
In April, the Yemeni rial took a beating against the U.S. dollar, although it had been stable for the six months prior. Analysts fear this might be a sign of the currency’s immanent collapse, which could prove devastating to the economy and people.
“With the widespread poverty and unemployment in Yemen, rising food price inflation will only fuel the citizenry’s growing frustration with the inability of the government to provide for its people,” warned Matt Roney, research associate with the Earth Policy Institute in Washington, via e-mail.
Looking longer term, Roney wrote that pressure on food supplies will only get worse since Yemen’s population is expected to more than double to 53 million by 2050.
So while many Yemenis are reducing their food intake to deal with the current crisis, it is not a sustainable solution.
“Cutting one or two meals per day—it is not a recipe for human development, and certainly not for political stability,” said Joe Guinan, fellow with the German Marshall Fund of the United States.
“In Yemen, families have in all likelihood been adopting short-term survival strategies that will be bad news in the long run. They will be eating less, and eating less nutritious meals. They will be taking their children out of school and making other cuts to lessen household expenses in order to meet the higher cost of food,” said Guinan.
Guinan believes that in order to tackle the problem in a sustainable way, efforts must be made to support agricultural markets—particularly in Africa.
“Sub Saharan Africa has half the world’s uncultivated arable land, the last great agricultural frontier.”
Building the capacity of local farmers to produce more and helping create the conditions for commerce within countries and regions will relieve some of the pressure that comes from reliance on global markets—and on autocratic regimes, Guinan points out.
“This will not be easy. But absent genuine action on global food security, the consequences will be grim. Events in the Middle East and North Africa are just the beginning. The Arab spring could give way to a long, hot summer.”
“We see that the consequences are already starting to be felt by the most vulnerable people and the threat is that it will push more people into a situation where they struggle for their food. And if this goes on for a long time, these people who suffer from malnutrition will go beyond the dramatic levels they already have.”
“We have not seen as dire a situation as it could yet get. But what we have already seen is that the currency started to collapse and the economy is put under further pressure. These are the warning signs we see,” he said.
In April, the Yemeni rial took a beating against the U.S. dollar, although it had been stable for the six months prior. Analysts fear this might be a sign of the currency’s immanent collapse, which could prove devastating to the economy and people.
“With the widespread poverty and unemployment in Yemen, rising food price inflation will only fuel the citizenry’s growing frustration with the inability of the government to provide for its people,” warned Matt Roney, research associate with the Earth Policy Institute in Washington, via e-mail.
Looking longer term, Roney wrote that pressure on food supplies will only get worse since Yemen’s population is expected to more than double to 53 million by 2050.
So while many Yemenis are reducing their food intake to deal with the current crisis, it is not a sustainable solution.
“Cutting one or two meals per day—it is not a recipe for human development, and certainly not for political stability,” said Joe Guinan, fellow with the German Marshall Fund of the United States.
“In Yemen, families have in all likelihood been adopting short-term survival strategies that will be bad news in the long run. They will be eating less, and eating less nutritious meals. They will be taking their children out of school and making other cuts to lessen household expenses in order to meet the higher cost of food,” said Guinan.
Guinan believes that in order to tackle the problem in a sustainable way, efforts must be made to support agricultural markets—particularly in Africa.
“Sub Saharan Africa has half the world’s uncultivated arable land, the last great agricultural frontier.”
Building the capacity of local farmers to produce more and helping create the conditions for commerce within countries and regions will relieve some of the pressure that comes from reliance on global markets—and on autocratic regimes, Guinan points out.
“This will not be easy. But absent genuine action on global food security, the consequences will be grim. Events in the Middle East and North Africa are just the beginning. The Arab spring could give way to a long, hot summer.”
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