Food Programme: Yemen is witnessing record levels of hunger

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The World Food Program said on Friday that hunger rates in Yemen are increasing at a rapid pace, with the number of residents unable to meet their food needs reaching a record level.

Matthew Hollingworth, associate executive director for WFP operations, said that within a few weeks, a record number of residents in Yemeni government-controlled areas, which the program has access to, have become unable to meet their food needs, and three out of every four families may have to reduce the number of meals they eat.

The total population of government-controlled areas is estimated at about 10 million people.

"The repercussions of the latest security escalation could be catastrophic by all standards for food security," Hollingworth told reporters in Geneva via video link from Rome.

Yemen is currently witnessing the most violent escalation in fighting since a UN-brokered truce that largely halted attacks in 2022. The renewed conflict has already displaced tens of thousands.