Food Insecurity in Yemen
Official statistics reveal that Yemen imports of cereals reached 3,388,326 tons over the last year at a total value of YR 194 billion, about $975 million.
According to Ministry of Trade and Industry’s report, the Yemen Company for Flour Mills & Silos is the chief importer, followed by the Yemen Economic Corporation.
Sources of wheat imports were varied and the United States is the biggest exporter at 1.87 million tons. Australia came in the second place with 102,702 tons, Russia with 579,729 tons and Kazakhstan with 193,828 tons.
Trade and Industry Ministry’s statistic indicate the Yemen’s imports of rice mounted to 389,236 tons at about YR 32 billion over 2007.
United Arab Emirates announced last week its intention to provide Yemen with 500,000 tons of wheat in food aid.
Similarly, World Bank announced that will see next month on the possibility of granting aid to Yemen within the frame of rapid response for helping countries affected by world food crisis. Through the program, the country is to get finance at $1.2 billion to cover for the prompt needs.
Yemen is ranked among the most 30 affected countries with the increase of foodstuffs and it is also one of the poorest countries, ranking 153 out of 177 countries in the Human development Index 2007-2008.
About 16 percent of Yemenis live on less than a dollar a day and over 45 percent live on less than two dollars a day.
