An international agency for child relief warned on Monday that the steep rise in prices of most goods and foodstuffs in Yemen, along with the recent collapse of the national currency to its lowest levels ever, is pushing more children into poverty and hunger, as families struggle to afford food in local markets.
The UK-based Save the Children stated in a report released on Monday that many children in Yemen are surviving on bread and water, which has devastating effects on their health, exacerbating the ongoing crisis of hunger and malnutrition and stunting their physical and mental growth.
Last month and at the beginning of this month, the price of the dollar exceeded 1060 riyals in areas under the control of the internationally recognized Yemeni government in Aden and southern provinces, marking the worst collapse in value since the war began over six years ago.
This decline has led to a significant increase in prices to unprecedented levels for all foodstuffs and goods amid the country's near-total reliance on imports, further burdening Yemeni families.
In its report, Save the Children pointed out that in addition to the currency collapse and rising prices of food and fuel, customs exchange fees have also doubled, and Sana'a airport has remained closed for the fifth consecutive year, preventing goods and medicine from entering the country.
The report adds, "All these factors have pushed more children to the brink of famine in a country where over half of its 30 million inhabitants are already experiencing severe food shortages, and more than 400,000 children under five are just one step away from famine."
Xavier Jubert, the country director for Save the Children in Yemen, said, "We are witnessing the Yemeni economy deteriorating at an alarming rate, which is a death sentence for children who are already suffering from severe malnutrition. With unprecedented increases in food prices and a lack of jobs, and no signs of the conflict slowing down, Yemeni parents cannot even buy the most basic food items for their children."
