On 20 November, the Secretary General of the UN warned that Yemen is now in imminent danger of the worst famine the world has seen for decades. Unless imminent action is taken, “millions of lives may be lost”.

The conditions for famine are created by a combination of the following factors: reduced funding for humanitarian assistance, a failure to sustain external support for the economy (especially stabilizing the currency) and the impact of the ongoing conflict and access restrictions. The problem is compounded by the locusts and floods, that hit Yemen this year.

On 23 November, UNICEF Executice Director also warned about the particular risk for children. Nearly 325,000 children under the age of five suffer from severe acute malnutrition. In some parts of Yemen, acute child malnutrition rates have reached record levels of 10% this year.