Page 50 - AA 2025 Year Book Summary

Yemen

116 Aid organizations call for immediate action

to pull Yemen back from the brink of catastrophe

After more than a decade of severe to-reach areas, having gained the trust
crisis and conflict, people in Yemen of communities over years of engage-
are facing what may be their toughest ment.
year so far. Conflict, economic collapse Time and again, we have seen how
and climate shocks continue to drive donor support saves lives. Their gener-
humanitarian needs. Aid is drying up ous contributions have prevented fam-
due to severe funding cuts. Airstrikes ine, alleviated suffering and protected
have resulted in hundreds of civilian the most vulnerable. Today, this soli-
casualties and damaged critical infra- darity is even more critical. We urgent-
structure. ginalized groups who are bearing the ly appeal to donors to scale up flexible,
brunt of the crisis.
As leaders gather tomorrow for the timely, and predictable funding for the
seventh Humanitarian Senior Officials Despite funding shortfalls and other Humanitarian Needs and Response
Meeting (SOM VII), UN agencies and challenges such as insecurity, access Plan. Without immediate action, the
international and national NGOs oper- constraints and the continued deten- vital gains achieved through years of
ating in Yemen call on the international tion of humanitarian personnel by the dedicated assistance could be lost.
community to take urgent, collective de facto authorities, aid agencies are We also urge the international com-
action to prevent catastrophic condi- on the ground and delivering. With munity to seize the opportunity pre-
tions from taking hold. support from donors, we are fighting sented by the SOM to help Yemenis
Almost five months into 2025, the hunger, disease and deprivation, and rebuild their lives in dignity. In addition
Yemen Humanitarian Needs and Re- providing life-saving assistance and to sustained humanitarian aid, devel-
sponse Plan is less than 10 per cent services including protection, educa- opment assistance must be scaled up
funded, preventing critical aid delivery tion, shelter and clean water. Local to prevent communities from sliding
to millions of people across the country, NGOs and civil society organizations into more acute levels of humanitarian
including women and girls, displaced play a critical role in these efforts, of- needs, ensure access to essential ser-
communities, children, refugees, mi- ten serving as the first and sometimes vices and generate economic and live-
grants and other vulnerable and mar- only responders in remote and hard- lihood opportunities.

Planting of 2025 cereals started

under dry weather conditions

Prolonged dry weather conditions from December 2024 port activities, raise chal-
and February 2025, reduced soil moisture and groundwater lenges for the country to
posing challenges for sorghum planting that began in March import cereals in 2025.
2025 and potentially impacting early crop establishment. Economic downturn and
Predictions of dry weather and high temperatures between food inflation hamper
April and June are anticipated to further decrease soil mois- food security in 2025
ture and reduce yield prospects. Additionally, rising fuel and
input costs may constrain agricultural activities and hamper According to the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian
local cereal output. Affairs (OCHA) , about 19.5 million people are projected to
Below average cereal production estimated in 2024 need humanitarian assistance in 2025, including 17.1 million
(almost half of the population) facing acute food insecurity.
Cereal harvest in 2024, which was completed in late No- In the Internationally Recognized Government of Yemen
vember, is estimated at 416 000 tonnes, about 13 percent (IRG), the monthly average exchange rate hit a new record
below the average reflecting dry weather conditions in May high of YER 2 300 (USD 1) in February 2025, marking a 28
and June 2024 in key crop producing governorates, coupled percent depreciation compared to February 2024, due to low
with heavy floods in August and September, which dam- inflows of remittances, a decline in oil exports and low levels
aged agricultural land, irrigation channels and water stor- of foreign currency reserves. The low currency rate coupled
age facilities. Additionally, high prices limited farmers’ ac- with high fuel and global food prices, increased significantly
cess to essential inputs, including fuel and pesticides. domestic key food commodity prices in February 2025 com-
Cereal imports expected at near average levels in 2024/25 pared to the previous year, with prices of sunflower oil, red
Wheat import requirements in the 2024/25 marketing beans and wheat flour increasing by 36 percent, 29 percent
year (July/June), which are the largest share of total cereal and 26 percent, respectively. The economic decline and the
imports, are projected at a near average level of 3.8 million high food prices are likely to weaken households’ purchas-
tonnes. However, internal conflicts, economic downturn and ing power and limit their access to essential food commodi-
limited foreign currency availability, due to subdued oil ex- ties, and worsen food security conditions.
48 Arab Agriculture 2025