Press Release 5/20/22: Yemen Famine Threat

Millions in Yemen are at threat of deadly famine. The country is suffering from an extreme wheat shortage.

Yemen is facing one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises – the famine threat. It’s due to more than seven years of war, political unrest, and a stagnant economy. Of the 31.18 million people living there, approximately 17.4 million are hungry. This statistics doesn’t even include the ones suffering from disease, malnutrition, and injuries from violence. The situation is only getting worse.

When the war in Ukraine began in late February, Yemen lost over 30% of its wheat imports from Ukraine and Russia. In Yemen, more than 80% of the population already suffers from hunger. So, this was a devastating loss in a country. 

Earlier this week, things went from bad to worse when India banned wheat exports entirely. The UN expressed solid concerns for war-torn countries that are already experiencing widespread hunger. Yemen is under an imminent famine threat.

According to a report of the Business Standard, “The US envoy said that Ukraine used to be a breadbasket for the developing world, but ever since Russia started blocking crucial ports and destroying civilian infrastructure and grain silos, hunger situations in Africa and the Middle East are getting even more dire.”

“16 million people in Yemen were already marching towards starvation prior to wheat shortage”, reported by The Guardian. Now, even more will join them.

UMR’s Emergency Plan

UMR has a multi-step approach to bringing immediate relief. We plan to create long-term sustainable solutions to help the people in Yemen.

First, we plan to deliver emergency food aid to the most vulnerable communities. We will focus on the elderly, mothers, children, and persons with disabilities. Our primary consideration is to help Yemen overcome the famine threat.

On a longer-term scale, we plan to rehabilitate the local markets. We will also construct and maintain water points for people and livestock. support local farmers through home gardens, drip irrigation units, and other services. Our ultimate goal is to stimulate the economy and provide sustainable food sources that will help Yemen’s famine threat so that the country can withstand the turmoil it is under.