عربي English Türkçe اردو فارسى
Logo
Latest News
Arab World

1.3 Million Yemenis Depend on US Assistance

Workers load up onto the back of a truck sacks of food supplies at the Red Sea port of Hodeidah in western Yemen, April 5, 2022. (AFP)
Workers load up onto the back of a truck sacks of food supplies at the Red Sea port of Hodeidah in western Yemen, April 5, 2022. (AFP)
TT
20
TT

1.3 Million Yemenis Depend on US Assistance

Workers load up onto the back of a truck sacks of food supplies at the Red Sea port of Hodeidah in western Yemen, April 5, 2022. (AFP)
Workers load up onto the back of a truck sacks of food supplies at the Red Sea port of Hodeidah in western Yemen, April 5, 2022. (AFP)

USAID has pledged to continue distributing aid to Yemen, including to areas controlled by the Houthi militias who have increased their campaign of arrests against staff from UN agencies and international organizations.

The agency said it has provided assistance through partners to more than 1.3 million Yemenis, amid the high level of food insecurity due to economic deterioration and diminishing livelihoods.

In a recent report, USAID said its partners continue to provide emergency food assistance, including US sourced commodities and cash vouchers to shop at local markets.

For example, one partner provided cash to nearly 6,800 host community families, and some 2,000 internally displaced families, and allocated these amounts to food purchases.

In government-controlled areas, the agency also distributed aid in Abyan, Al Dhalee and Lahj governorates through the provision of life-saving food voucher assistance complemented with nutrition-related activities.

It also offered assistance to more than 1,800 households in Houthi-controlled areas in the governorates of Jawf and Marib during April.

The agency said it provides monthly support to distribute unconditional food assistance designed to meet 80% of the average daily calorie requirement for each household member.

Also, USAID partners are providing multipurpose cash assistance (MPCA) to cover other costs - including shelter and hygiene items - throughout Yemen to support food insecurity, and improve household purchasing power, according to the report.

It said while the UN World Food Program’s (WFP) general food assistance (GFA) program remains paused in the Houthi-controlled areas, USAID partners continue to provide food assistance to support vulnerable households.

With the US government support, International Organization for Migration (IOM), UNHCR, and three NGOs provide MPCA to conflict-affected households across Yemen to meet their basic needs and reduce the use of negative coping strategies, while also supporting local markets.

USAID data also reveals that Houthi-controlled areas suffer from inadequate levels of food consumption, adding that the nationwide rate of inadequate food consumption rose from 51% in April to 58% last May.

It warned that this trend significantly worsened in the Houthis-controlled areas, where it increased by 78% year-on-year, compared to 52% in government-controlled areas.

It said the overall volume of food imports via all Yemeni seaports increased by 22% during the first five months of 2024 compared to the same period in 2023.

Deterioration of Health

USAID said that almost a decade of conflict has led Yemen to experience devastating outbreaks of vaccine-preventable diseases, especially among children.

It said displacement, economic deterioration, low incomes and overcrowded living conditions in internally displaced persons camps, along with a burdened health system and low immunization rates, have contributed to the resurgence of vaccine-preventable diseases.

Most Viewed

 
Arab World

Macron and Tebboune Announce Return of Normal ‘French-Algerian’ Relations

The Algerian and French presidents in August 2022 (Algerian presidency)
The Algerian and French presidents in August 2022 (Algerian presidency)
TT
20
TT

Macron and Tebboune Announce Return of Normal ‘French-Algerian’ Relations

The Algerian and French presidents in August 2022 (Algerian presidency)
The Algerian and French presidents in August 2022 (Algerian presidency)

French President Emmanuel Macron and his Algerian counterpart, Abdelmadjid Tebboune, on Monday confirmed a normalization of ties after months of strained relations and agreed to reestablish political dialogue and relaunch cooperation on security and migration.
During a phone call, Macron urged Algerian counterpart Abdelmadjid Tebboune to show “mercy and humanity” towards a jailed French-Algerian writer, Boualem Sansal, the Elysee palace said in a statement.
The author was sentenced last Thursday to five years in prison after an interview he gave to a French far-right media outlet was deemed to undermine Algeria's territorial integrity.
Macron “called for a gesture of mercy and humanity towards Mr Boualem Sansal, given the age and state of health of the writer,” the Elysee statement said.
French nationals living in Algeria and who mostly own private companies, are concerned that the diplomatic rift between both countries would affect their businesses.
They hope discussions between French and Algerian high ranking officials would halt the deterioration in bilateral relations.
Michel Bisac, president of the Algerian French Chamber of Commerce and Industry, told the French-language news website Tout sur l'Algérie, that French residents in Algeria working in companies or in the finance and business fields, are “always welcomed by their Algerian partners.”
“The problem is mainly political,” he said in an attempt to minimize the escalated relations between both countries and its impact on jobs, and French investments in Algeria.
Bisac said most French companies have performed well in 2024, but the diplomatic escalation between the two countries has raised concerns.
“French companies in Algeria do not face any retaliatory measures. As for administrative difficulties, especially with regard to imports, they affect all foreign investors, and do not specifically target France,” he added.
Bisac said there is no campaign against France despite the tense relations, affirming that professional ties remain strong, and expatriates continue to work in a stable environment.
But as bilateral relations continue to deteriorate, he said, the economy could be affected, threatening years of Franco-Algerian cooperation.
Meanwhile, the government in Paris is divided on the French-Algerian crisis. French Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau vowed a “gradual response” after Algeria refused Paris’ demand to readmit Algerian nationals from France that local authorities have deemed a threat and are seeking to expel.
In return, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot will travel to Algiers on April 11 at the invitation of his Algerian counterpart, Ahmed Attaf, as part of the effort to mend ties between both countries. He is expected to meet with Tebboune.
Recently, Algerians have shown a willingness to dialogue, but the local press has continued its attacks on right-wing French officials, including presidential candidate Bruno Retailleau, who has called for the termination of the 1968 Franco-Algerian immigration agreement.
In return, Algeria's parliament established a commission to draft a law criminalizing French colonial rule, a move deemed “historical” and backed by local lawmakers, historians, and legal experts. Observers expect Algeria to abandon this step when relations between Algiers and Paris return to normal.