ROME – The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) has welcomed a US$240 million contribution from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to support the food needs of vulnerable people in Yemen.

 In the Holy month of Ramadan, Yemen is facing critical shortages of food. The generous contribution will greatly help Yemenis follow their practices and traditions during this important time.

 WFP plans to use this contribution to provide millions of families with monthly food rations of flour, pulses, vegetable oil, sugar and salt. In urban areas where the markets are still functioning, families will be given vouchers to purchase these rations through local traders, supporting the local economy as well.

 US$10 million of the contribution will go towards WFP’s nutrition programme, which treats and prevents malnutrition among women and children.

 "Support from the international community is vital to alleviate the suffering of millions of people in Yemen,” said WFP Chief of Staff Rehan Asad. “We extend our sincere gratitude to KSA and the UAE for helping our work in Yemen.”

 The volatile situation in Yemen keeps millions of people trapped in a crippling cycle of food insecurity. Over 20 million people are hungry, struggling to support their families amid fighting, the collapse of the economy and struggling health services. WFP is scaling up to feed 12 million of the most vulnerable people, while accelerating programmes that enable people to rebuild their livelihoods so that Yemen can begin to recover.