Escalating food prices exacerbate Yemen poverty

Residents of the Yemen seaport city of Aden say a sharp rise in the price of fish is hurting their ability to feed their families. Seafood is a main source of protein in coastal areas, and soaring costs add to pre-existing food insecurity where the World Bank reports millions are experiencing hunger that verges on famine. One kilo of the locally caught tuna costs US12$. Prices of other foodstuffs have also increased, exacerbating poverty worsened by the war. Citizens in Aden tell A24 that they are frustrated by their government’s inability to curb the rise in prices. Last year the UN estimated that over 24 million Yemenis were “at risk” of hunger and disease, and roughly 14 were in acute need of assistance.