WFP suspends activity in Houthi-controlled areas in Yemen

The World Food Program (WFP) announced on Tuesday the suspension of food aid distribution in areas controlled by the Houthis in Yemen due to limited funding and disputes with the rebels.

Yemen has been plunged into a power struggle between the Houthis and the government since mid-2014, resulting in the deaths and injuries of hundreds of thousands and creating the world's worst humanitarian crisis, according to UN estimates.

A military coalition led by Saudi Arabia intervened in 2015 alongside the government against the Iran-backed Houthis, who control the capital Sanaa and vast areas of the country.

Faced with dwindling funding, the UN-affiliated program stated in a press release that it made "this difficult decision... after nearly a year of negotiations, during which an agreement was not reached to reduce the number of direct food aid beneficiaries from 9.5 million to 6.5 million people."


AFP