Yemen’s Food Basket Jumps by 85%, Govt Considers S. American Alternative

Relief workers in Sanaa. (EPA)
Relief workers in Sanaa. (EPA)
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Yemen’s Food Basket Jumps by 85%, Govt Considers S. American Alternative

Relief workers in Sanaa. (EPA)
Relief workers in Sanaa. (EPA)

Yemen’s Ministry of Industry and Trade said it is looking for alternative markets to buy wheat from South America and Asia in order to cover the disruption to global wheat supplies generated by the fallout from the conflict in Ukraine.

A senior official in the Ministry said Yemen is considering Brazil and India.

He pointed out that many regional countries that have large stocks of wheat also offered to sell Yemen the quantity it needs.

The government pledged to work on providing credit lines for importers.

Yemen imports about 46% of wheat from Russia and Ukraine.

A food security analysis prepared by the Famine Early Warning Systems Network said Yemen is currently suffering a surge in food prices since it relies heavily on imports to meet its need.

According to the report, the cost of the most basic food basket has increased significantly by 12% since March, up 85% than a year before.

The purchasing power of families has been highly affected due to years of economic slump and conflict.

The analysis further indicated that the years of political stalemate led to weaken the economy and pushed people into poverty.

Displacement led to Yemenis losing their sources of income, leaving people extremely vulnerable to the rising prices of basic foodstuffs and unable to meet other basic living expenses.



UN Rights Chief Arrives in Syria for First Ever Visit

Volker Turk, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, attends a news conference at the United Nations in Geneva, Switzerland, December 6, 2023. REUTERS/Denis Balibouse/File Photo
Volker Turk, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, attends a news conference at the United Nations in Geneva, Switzerland, December 6, 2023. REUTERS/Denis Balibouse/File Photo
TT

UN Rights Chief Arrives in Syria for First Ever Visit

Volker Turk, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, attends a news conference at the United Nations in Geneva, Switzerland, December 6, 2023. REUTERS/Denis Balibouse/File Photo
Volker Turk, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, attends a news conference at the United Nations in Geneva, Switzerland, December 6, 2023. REUTERS/Denis Balibouse/File Photo

United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk arrived in Syria's capital, Damascus, on Tuesday for the first ever visit of the global body's rights chief to the country.

Turk, an Austrian lawyer, will visit Syria and Lebanon from Jan. 14-16 and meet with officials, civil society groups, diplomats and UN bodies, the UN statement said, without giving further details.

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad was driven from power by a lightening opposition offensive last month, ending 50 years of family rule and raising hopes for accountability for crimes committed during Syria's more than 13 year civil war.

According to Reuters, under Assad, many UN officials and rights groups were denied access to the country to investigate alleged violations.

A spokesperson for Turk's office did not immediately provide further details of how many times he or his predecessors had tried to gain access to the country. The role of High Commissioner for Human Rights was created in 1993.