UN: Collapse of Yemen currency exacerbates risk of famine

The United Nations has warned that four million Yemenis would face “pre-hunger” if the country’s crisis persists, in addition to the eight million already suffering from severe hunger.

The UN office in Yemen said on Friday that the collapse of local currency exacerbates the threat of starvation faced by millions of citizens. This came in a statement issued by the office of the UN Resident Coordinator (UNRC) and Humanitarian Coordinator in Yemen, Lise Grande, and was published by Anadolu.

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Grande said that the World Food Programme (WFP) and its relief partners are providing monthly food assistance to some eight million people suffering from “extreme hunger.” She added: “If the value of the Yemeni Riyal continues to decline, another 3.5 to 4 million people will be in a pre-hunger situation.”

Grande explained that commodity prices have risen sharply in the last four weeks due to the rapid decline in the value of the Riyal. The statement pointed out that the price of food rose by 11 per cent, while the price of fuel rose by 45 per cent in September alone.

Grande continued: “The situation is already unbearable and we will reach the point of irreversibility unless something is done to save the currency.” She stressed that Yemen was already suffering the worst humanitarian crisis in the world and that “countless” citizens were “on the brink of death.”

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Last week, Yemen’s currency fell to 760 Riyals per dollar on the black market – the lowest price in its history – compared to 480 Riyals six months ago.

For nearly four years, the country has witnessed a violent war between government forces, supported by the Arab coalition, and militants of the “Houthi” group which has caused an unprecedented deterioration of economic and humanitarian conditions.