NGOs warn, Yemen on the verge of food emergency

Yemen has been troubled by protest against former President Ali Abdallah Saleh, for over a year now, and torn by tribal unrest and fight against Al-Qaida: the country is now ''on the verge of a food emergency'', with 44% of its inhabitants, totalling ten million people, without enough food. The warning was launched earlier today by seven non-governmental organizations, including Oxfam, on the same day when 30 countries belonging to the ''Friends of Yemen'' group in Saudi Arabia promised to allocate USD 4 bln as aid for Sanaa, USD 3.25 bln of them will be allocated by Riyadh. ''A child out of three in Yemen suffers from malnourishment'', the seven NGOs stated, while the UN estimates that the life of 267,000 children is at risk. The NGOs point out in their appeal that 5 million people need urgent help. The aid promised today in Riyadh, as the Saudi Foreign Minister Saud al Faysal emphasized ''are aimed at preserving Yemen's stability and security''. Large areas in the southern parts of the country have been under Al Qaida's control since last year, when Al Qaida settled there taking advantage of the central government's weakness during the protests against Saleh. Two days ago, a terrorist attack claimed by the terrorist network in Sanaa caused the death of nearly one hundred soldiers who were taking part in the rehearsals of a military parade. If the world does not react to the food emergency in Yemen now, Oxfam International Director Penny Lawrence warned, ''it will endanger more lives, increase poverty and undermine the process of political transition in the country.'' (ANSAmed).