Washington DC, 19 April 2023 (TDI): US has commended another successful delivery of humanitarian aid to Yemen through the Black Sea Grain Initiative, a critical program for global food security.
About the delivery
A UN World Food Programme (WFP)-chartered vessel carrying 30,000 metric tons of wheat grain arrived in Al Salif port in Hodeidah to support humanitarian assistance in Yemen.
The shipment, funded by the governments of the US, France, and Spain, will provide a 50-kg bag of wheat flour to nearly 4 million people for one month and will help WFP address immediate gaps in assistance.
The MV Negmar Cicek sailed from the Ukrainian Black Sea Port of Chornomorsk in Odesa after the renewal of the Black Sea Grain initiative last month.
The Black Sea Grain Initiative has been critical to global food security and provides a lifeline for millions of Yemenis amidst food insecurity.
Also Read: UN welcomes continuation of Black Sea Grain Initiative.
“With funding constraints, we face now in Yemen, this shipment could not have come at a more opportune time,” said Richard Ragan, WFP Country Director and Representative in Yemen.
“Maintaining and increasing the level of funding for Yemen is key to seeing tangible improvements in the lives of millions of Yemenis.”
However, there are still 6.1 million people living in emergency levels of food insecurity in Yemen, the highest number of any country in the world, with humanitarian assistance remaining a lifeline for millions.
Last year, due to the six-month truce and continued assistance, the number of people living in famine-like conditions fell from 161,000 to zero.
“Continued donor support will allow us to eventually transition from humanitarian aid and life-saving assistance to the resilience and development work that should be the focus of attention in Yemen,” Ragan added.
Also Read: WFP Grain Vessel Reaches Yemen
For information, WFP in Yemen requires $2.9 billion to provide food aid, school feeding, and rural road rehabilitation.
Only 17% funded for the coming six months, WFP aims to support 15 million people through cash and direct distribution and 1.9 million people through other projects.
Notably, the arrival of the WFP-chartered vessel in Yemen demonstrates the importance of the Black Sea Grain Initiative to global food security. It provides critical aid to nearly 4 million people in Yemen amidst ongoing food insecurity.
The UN World Food Programme continues to call for donor support to maintain and increase funding for Yemen, helping to eventually transition from life-saving assistance to the resilience and development work necessary to improve the lives of millions of Yemenis.
