Increasing Poverty in Yemen

Yemen’s political unrest has had a deteriorating effect on its economy. An increasing number of people were afflicted by poverty this Ramadan, with fewer relief supplies compared to previous years.

Most relief agencies are linked to President Ali Abdullah Saleh's Social Fund for Development, the largest organization of its kind in Yemen.

The fund provides relief supplies to the needy. Statistics show more than 300,000 Yemenis receive supplies annually during Ramadan alone. However, this year, that number has increased to just 10,000. The surge has come mainly from refugees from Abyan and Aden.

In previous years relief supplies included rice, wheat, sugar, dates and coffee. However, this year, there's only wheat and rice, but the quantity received were less than before.

A distribution manager of the Yemen Social Fund for Developmentsaid, "The political crisis has affected every aspect of Yemen's economy, including the financial support towards social programs. The Social Fund for Development relies entirely on government finances and donations"

The UN Security Council has voiced concerns over the humanitarian crisis in Yemen. However, relief supplies from the international community are not guaranteed to reach civilians.

Speaker:
The Manager of Yemen social fund for development

Voice:
Najib Bencherif