On 20 June, WFP began a partial suspension of food assistance operations in areas of Yemen under the control of the Sana’a-based authorities. The decision was taken after negotiations stalled on an agreement to introduce controls to prevent the diversion of food away from some of the most vulnerable people in Yemen.
The first stage of the suspension – effective in Sana’a city only – affects some 850,000 people.
Elsewhere in Yemen, WFP’s food assistance programmes are continuing as normal.
Amina and her seven children have been displaced for four years due to the fighting. The first time she fled, she was waiting to receive food when fighters entered into her village. She was forced to flee without any money finding transport in exchange for her belongings.
WFP has in recent months been providing food assistance to more than 10 million people, making the Yemen emergency response the agency’s largest anywhere in the world. The agency aims to feed 12 million of the most vulnerable and food-insecure people a month – effectively doubling the 2018 targets.
Mohammed and Saeeda had sold all of their belonging and fled to this camp to escape from the fighting. This is their second displacement; the first displacement was from Haradh district to Bani Hassan district.
WFP will maintain nutrition programmes for malnourished children, pregnant and nursing mothers throughout the period of suspension.
In 2019, WFP plans to assist up to 3 million women and children with nutrition support with a strong focus on prevention. WFP is running a supplementary feeding programme for all children and pregnant or nursing women in 165 priority districts identified as being at risk of malnutrition~WFP
