Sana'a: The United Nations Deputy Secretary General for Humanitarian Affairs, Catherine Prague, warned last week that Yemen is facing an increasingly drastic situation, as more of its population falls below the poverty line, tottering the war-stricken nation on the edge of an abyss. Despite many warnings from several humanitarian agencies and other organizations including the UNICEF and the World Bank, the international community has so far failed to cope with the ever growing number of families in desperate need of help in Yemen. Although Yemen seems to be emerging from months of political deadlock since President Ali Abdullah Saleh reluctantly inked the GCC power-transfer initiative, marking an end to his 33-year old rule, the country is still reeling from overlapping conflicts. Still in the midst of a power and fuel crisis, the country's economy continues to suffer, forcing businesses to close down or downgrade their operations. As a result, thousands of families are facing an uncertain future with no source of income to sustain them. Ongoing fighting in Abyan, a southern province of Yemen, between government forces and alleged al-Qaeda fighters have forced tens of thousands of people to flee the area, fearing for their lives. Many have had to live in dreadful conditions for the past few months, with no access to running water or income. Rises in basic commodities and high unemployment levels have driven people to beg for their daily bread. Proud Yemeni men who have worked all their lives are now seen at mosques, imploring worshippers to come to their aid. Tawfiq Shuaibi, head of the Yemeni Center for Fair Transition, told the press that according to the latest data,”Yemen continued to deteriorate because of the ongoing political crisis, the decline in Yemen's resources and the global financial crisis.” Security analysts have warned that clashes will continue in the North between al-Houthis, a Shia rebel group that has denied the Central Government's authority, and the Salafist groups. Furthermore, the growing threat of al-Qaeda in the South could tip the country over the edge, disrupting the region's geo-political balance. Shuaibi also stressed that the poverty rate has dangerously increased, with 60 percent of the entire population living with less than $1 a day. According to the World Food Program, Yemen ranks eleventh in global food insecurity, with half of its children qualifying as “chronically malnourished.” According to the organization, Yemen is in a “hunger trap” facing “absolute poverty.” “Yemen is characterized by widespread poverty, food insecurity, malnutrition, unemployment, low levels of education, high gender disparities, rapid population growth and insufficient access to safe water and to land,” according to a statement from the Program. “Multiple and simultaneous shocks have exacerbated the vulnerability of families and left millions trapped in absolute hunger and poverty.” After months of unrest, Yemen's middle class has been wiped out, disturbing the country's economic and financial stability. Hunger could become an important factor in political radicalization in the state, as people become desperate to provide for their families. As groups such al-Qaeda use monetary incentives to mobilize support to their cause, the situation could become catastrophic for the region. BM
