Three in four families go hungry in Yemen’s government-held areas, the World Food Programme warns

Three in four families in parts of Yemen are going hungry, after fighting has displaced tens of thousands of people and disrupted food supplies, the UN World Food Programme (WFP) warned, according to Al Jazeera.

Around 74 per cent of households in accessible government-controlled areas cannot meet their basic food needs — a record for this year — the WFP said. Around 10 million people live in those areas, according to the agency’s figures.

The report shows how quickly hunger is deepening in a country that imports around 90 per cent of its food, while markets are disrupted and aid access narrows.

Yemen is facing a major escalation of fighting between Saudi-backed government forces and the Iran-linked Houthi group, which controls large parts of the country.