Humanitarian situation in Yemen could spin out of control, the World Food Program warned on Tuesday, as the war-torn country needs a huge logistic operation to save half of its population.
"COVID-19 threatens a population already weakened by years of conflict .. and severely vulnerable to shocks," WFP spokeswoman said at a press conference in Geneva.
More than 20 million Yemenis suffer food insecurity, including 10 million acutely-food-insecure children, Elizabeth Byrs added.
"WFP expects coronavirus to push many more children in Yemen into acute malnutrition," she said, as over 2 million children are already suffering from it.
The UN program needs US$ 878 million to continue the delivery of lifesaving assistances for millions that need them to survive, Byrs added.
The 5-year-old conflict over power has forced Yemen's health system to kneel down and pushed millions of citizens to edge of famine, while COVID-19 is posing now a new threat for Yemeni weak families, according to the WFP.
Yemen needs a huge logistic operation to help about a half of its population, Byrs said, noting that the challenges are great amid persistent war.
The pandemic threatens global import chain supporting the humanitarian response in Yemen, severely affecting the availability of food at local market, the WFP warned.
Yemen imports some 90 percent of its food needs, including most of its needs of wheat and all its needs of rice. This year has seen a 20% increase in food imports.
