Qatar Charity launches an emergency project to combat famine in Yemen news

Qatar Charity launched an emergency project to support food security in Yemen to save thousands of families from the risk of famine, in coordination with the Food Security Cluster and local authorities to ensure that aid reaches the most needy groups of displaced people and vulnerable segments.

Qatar Charity said that it had begun implementation in Taiz Governorate, targeting 1,780 families, and that it would soon include Hodeidah Governorate with a similar number, bringing the total beneficiaries to 3,560 families (about 25,000 people).

The project aims to provide basic food in light of the worst humanitarian crisis in the world, as each family receives 3 food baskets sufficient for their needs for 4 and a half months, containing wheat, rice, sugar, oil and legumes.

This intervention comes at a critical time after the withdrawal of many international organizations and the cessation of relief programs, and this has increased the risk of famine in several Yemeni governorates.

Risk of famine

Yemen has been experiencing a humanitarian tragedy for more than a decade due to the war that destroyed infrastructure and lost families’ sources of income, in addition to the climate disasters that struck the agricultural sector, pushing millions to the brink of famine.

More than 30 international and local organizations working in Yemen said, in a joint statement last October, that Yemen is witnessing the third largest food crisis in the world, with half of the population facing hunger, and half of the children under the age of five suffering from chronic malnutrition.

The statement indicated that the situation will deteriorate at a rapid pace, expecting more than 18 million people to suffer from critical levels of hunger early next year, including about 41,000 who are at risk of famine.