Yemen Food Security Update: Key Insights from the February 2025 WFP Report

Key Highlights:

• Food Deprivation: In January 2025, about 34% of people in areas under the IRG and 35% in SBA faced severe food deprivation. This was a small drop compared to previous months, thanks in part to WFP food assistance that helped many households.
• WFP Support: The World Food Programme is reaching around 2.8 million people during each distribution cycle in IRG areas. However, due to a lack of funding, rations are lower than needed. In January, they aimed to support 2.8 million people across 70 districts in SBA areas but managed to reach only 64 due to challenges.
• Food Security Analysis: An assessment of food security showed that 11 districts saw major changes between the third and fourth quarters of 2024. Eight districts had more than a 10% deterioration in food security, while three regions improved, mostly located near conflict zones.
• Currency Depreciation: The Yemeni Riyal hit a new low at YER 2,187 per US dollar by the end of January 2025. This represents a 26% drop in value compared to the previous year, largely due to the blockade of oil exports since October 2022. The significant loss in revenue has led to soaring food and fuel prices.
• Food Imports: Food imports in January were 39% higher than the average for the past year. The SBA restricted wheat flour imports at Red Sea ports but can mill enough wheat domestically if fuel supplies remain stable. Global food prices decreased by 2% in January but are still 6% higher compared to a year ago.
• Fuel Imports: Fuel imports via Red Sea ports increased by 11% compared to the past year’s average, but imports through southern ports fell by 64%. This drop is seen after higher imports in the late summer, coinciding with storage and demand fluctuations.