CAIRO: Clashes between protesters and authorities in the Yemeni capital Sanaa have intensified over the past two days, where witnesses claim that dozens of civilians are dying amid an increasing humanitarian crisis. An estimated 7.5 million people in Yemen are starving, as the country is sacked by rising food and oil prices amidst the political unrest. According to the World Food Program, prices for staple foods in Yemen have risen by nearly 50 percent since protests began last February. This price-hike is mainly due to a series of attacks staged on the country's oil pipelines, which halted oil refinery and caused prices to skyrocket. Simultaneously, international donors including the World Bank are cutting funding to Yemen, citing security and corruption issues. Although the international community has pledged billions to help those in some of Yemen's Arab neighbors, including Egypt, Tunisia and Syria, the country has received little support. The UN-administered Humanitarian Response Plan for Yemen has received just $166 million of its required $290 million in funding for 2011, marking a 43 percent budget deficit. Oxfam has called upon international donors to organize aid through a group called Friends of Yemen. “Ordinary families are telling us they simply don't have the money to buy even the basics. Many say they don't know where their next meal is coming from. It's time for Friends of Yemen to meet to decide what concrete action they will take to help the Yemeni people,” said Ashley Clements, the author of Oxfam's new report “Yemen: Fragile Lives in Hungry Times.” An estimated 45 percent of Yemenis live under the poverty line, and the ongoing crisis has only worsened their position. The country is considered the poorest in the Arab region. UNICEF warned that Yemen is on the brink of a famine that may match the scale of Somalia's. BM
