UN Agency Demands Houthi Rebels End Misuse of Food Relief in Yemen - Spokesperson
The World Food Program is urging the Houthi rebels in Yemen to stop the diversion of humanitarian food deliveries from people who live in areas under their control, the UN Office of the Spokesperson said in a statement on Monday.
"The World Food Program (WFP) is demanding an immediate end to the diversion of humanitarian food relief in Yemen after uncovering evidence of the practice in the capital, Sanaa, and other parts of the country controlled by the Ansarullah (Houthi) movement," the statement said.
The World Food Program revealed that many people entitled to food aid in Yemen have not been receiving or have been denied their rations in Sanaa and other areas of the country.
The World Food Program found out that a local organization affiliated with the Houthi government that is responsible for the distribution of food rations was removing food from distribution centers and then selling the meals, according to the statement.
As many as 20 million people in Yemen are food insecure and 12 million of them are severely hungry, the statement said.
Yemen has been locked in a conflict between the government forces led by President Abd Rabbuh Mansour Hadi and the Houthi rebels. A Saudi-led coalition of mostly Arab countries has acted militarily against the Houthis at Hadi's request. The conflict has created one of the worst humanitarian situations in the world.