More than half of the total population of Yemen, some 14.4
million people, are food insecure due to ongoing conflict and import
restrictions, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) said.
Imports are essential as only four percent of the country's
land is arable and only a fraction of that is currently used for food
production. A shortage of critical inputs like seeds and fertilizers have
severely reduced crop production, with estimates suggesting the recent conflict
has caused dramatic losses to the agriculture sector. Crop production,
livestock rearing and fisheries employ 50 percent of Yemen's workforce and are
the main sources of livelihoods for two-thirds of the country. Yemen is among
the most water-scarce countries in the world with less than five percent of the
world average available per person per year, making irrigation a key concern
for farmers.
2.3 million people internally displaced puts added pressure
on host communities already struggling with limited food resources.
"Food insecurity and malnutrition are becoming highly
critical," FAO Representative in Yemen Salah Elhajj Hassan said.
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