HIGHLIGHTS:
• Food consumption deteriorated in October, attributed to worsening economic conditions and limited humanitarian assistance.
• In areas under the Sana’a-based authorities, WFP completed the first cycle of its new Targeted Emergency Food Assistance programme in November and is preparing to expand the programme further.
• Severe funding shortages are forcing WFP to direct assistance to only those most in need, prompting strict targeting and prioritization to maximize the use of scarce resources.
• In areas under the internationally recognized Government, WFP has started December food distributions, prioritizing 2.8 million people for food assistance.
SITUATION UPDATE:
• The latest WFP food security data show a month-on-month deterioration in food consumption nationwide in October.
• The deterioration is primarily related to food price increases in areas under the internationally recognized Government of Yemen (IRG, south operational area) and limited humanitarian food assistance provided in areas under the Sana’a-based authorities (SBA, north operational area), compounded by scarce income-generating activities nationwide.
• All governorates in Yemen exceeded the “very high” threshold (≥20 percent) for poor food consumption in October. More than half of all surveyed households reported adopting severe food-based coping strategies.
• Inadequate food consumption was higher in IRG areas, where the cost of the minimum food basket reached an all-time high in October related to continued currency depreciation and increased fuel prices.