The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) in Yemen today joined the Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation and Fisheries (MAIF) in celebrating the World Food Day at an event held in Aden.

The event is one in a series with others scheduled for Sana'a, Taiz and Mukalla within the coming few days. This year's World Food Day is celebrated under the theme: Leave No One Behind and today's event bore testimony to this as it was attended by various people including staff from FAO and MIAF, farmers, pastoralists, agro-pastoralists, beekeepers and fisher folks.

The FAO Representative in Yemen, Dr Hussein Gadain, in a message that was screened at the venue, said this year's World Food Day comes at a time when the world faces several challenges including the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, conflicts, climate change and rising food prices.

"Our aim is to work with farmers who dedicate time and energy to produce food, the livestock owners, the fisher folks, the poultry breeders, the market sellers and all the people who play a part to ensure that food is in our plates. We work with all and Leave No One Behind.

"We work to reduce malnutrition and food insecurity in Yemen through efficient, inclusive, resilient, and sustainable agrifood systems. We are committed to ensure better nutrition and food security, which is linked to sustainable production and decent livelihoods," said Dr Gadain.

The FAO representative added that FAO is implementing bold, scaled, and collaborative actions.

"These actions are significantly improving food security conditions of rural families affected by the conflict and climate change shocks. We are building a sustainable environment where everyone, everywhere in Yemen, will have regular access to enough nutritious foods," added Dr Gadain.

The venue was a hive of activity as farmers, pastoralists, agro-pastoralists, beekeepers and fisher folks were proudly displaying their products and equipment. These products and equipment are a result of their participation in some FAO interventions. These include sprayers to manage and control desert locust and drip irrigation equipment. Livestock farmers were also displaying tools and equipment used in dairy processing and animal fattening.

There were pheromone traps on display and these are used in the management of the ferocious fall armyworm (FAW). Also on display were systems that ensure availability of near real time data in support of early warning for early action. Beekeepers were also displaying their products, showing the recent interventions in the honey value chain.

The products on exhibition represent the wide array of the emergency, resilience, and development-focused interventions implemented by FAO in Yemen. These interventions are made possible through the generous support of our donors and partners.