In Numbers

20.7 million people in need of humanitarian assistance*

4 million people internally displaced

16.2 million people are food insecure (IPC 3+)

*According to the Humanitarian Needs Overview (HNO) 2021

Highlights

• WFP targeted 9 million Yemeni people with general food assistance under February distributions.

• 2,124 confirmed cumulative cases of COVID-19 were reported by the end of January.

• WFP requires USD 479.5 million to continue operations unimpeded over the next six months (March 2021 – August 2021).

Situation Update (including security)

• As of 28 February, WHO reported 2,271 confirmed cases of COVID19 in Yemen and 630 deaths. A total of 23 confirmed cases were reported throughout February.

• In the areas under the Sana’a-based authorities, the fuel crisis continued in February as no fuel vessels have been permitted to berth by the Saudi-led Coalition (SLC) since 03 January 2021 and as of 28 February, 13 commercial vessels carrying 352,199 mt of fuel continued to be held in the Saudi-led Coalition (SLC) holding area. While there was no major interruption to WFP’s operation due to the fuel crisis, a three-four days delay was reported at district level where fuel was not always available.

• On 21 February, the 2021 Humanitarian Needs Overview (HNO) for Yemen was published. With 20.7 million people in need (66 percent of the population), including 12.1 in acute need (60 percent of those in need) and over 4 million Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs), Yemen remains the world’s largest humanitarian crisis. Food insecurity and malnutrition are the main drivers of the needs with 16.2 million people facing high levels of acute food insecurity, Integrated Phase Classification (IPC) 3 or higher.

• The latest IPC nutrition analysis revealed that in 2021 nearly 2.25 million Yemeni children under the age of five are threatened to suffer from acute malnutrition. During this year, WFP is targeting 3.3 million children and mothers with services to treat and prevent malnutrition in all priority districts, including IDP sites.

• The US Department of State revoked the designation of Ansar Allah as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) on 16 February.

• The military escalation in Ma’rib governorate in February led to the displacement of more than 8,600 people. WFP is working with OCHA and other UN agencies to respond to the increased humanitarian needs via a coordinated plan.

• On 21 February, the Supervisory Committee on the Implementation of the Prisoners and Detainees Exchange Agreement between the Internationally Recognized Government (IRG) and Ansar Allah forces concluded its fifth meeting. The parties committed to keep discussing the parameters of a future expanded release operation.