The United Nations' World Food Program (WFP) on Friday urged all parties to the conflict in Yemen to allow the safe passage of food to all civilians in need in all areas in Taiz city.

In a statement, WFP Regional Director Muhannad Hadi said that the program is deeply concerned about the rapidly deteriorating humanitarian situation in the city of Taiz where people have been going hungry for weeks as WFP struggles to reach vulnerable families in the war-torn city.

"The precarious situation in Taiz has hampered WFP's efforts to reach impoverished people, especially in besieged parts of the city, who have not had access to food for many weeks," he added.

"WFP has delivered food assistance to Taiz governorate in the hope of reaching every person in need, but so far we have not been able to reach most of them."

Taiz is one of 10 governorates – out of Yemen's 22 governorates – that are in the grip of severe food insecurity at 'Emergency' level – one step below famine on the five-point Integrated Food Security Phase Classification scale. An estimated 7.6 million people in Yemen do not have enough food to lead a healthy life, have lost their livelihoods and are facing life-threatening rates of acute malnutrition.

The conflict since late March 2015 has worsened Yemen's already poor food security situation, adding more than 3 million people to the ranks of the hungry in less than a year.

Source: MENA