[26/11/2024 05:52]

MARIB - SABA
Deputy Governor of Marib Abd Rabu Miftah met with Leila Ahadi, the Director of the World Food Program (WFP) office in the temporary capital, Aden, who is currently visiting Marib.

They discussed enhancing humanitarian partnerships to address the increasing food gap in the governorate, reviewing the names of beneficiaries who were removed from the program's recent lists, and ensuring the regular distribution of rations to beneficiaries.

During the meeting, attended by Dr. Khalid Al-Shajani, Assistant Director of the Executive Unit for Displaced Persons, they addressed the worsening humanitarian situation in the governorate, exacerbated by the ongoing economic decline, reduced humanitarian aid, climate changes, and continuing displacement.

This has severely impacted the living conditions of citizens, both displaced individuals and host communities, leading to increased food insecurity and a rise in households falling below the poverty line, unable to afford basic food due to a lack of job opportunities and rising food prices.

Dr. Miftah emphasized the urgent need to expand the role and interventions of the World Food Program in the governorate, contributing to addressing the growing food insecurity for both families below the poverty line and newly displaced households arriving daily.

He noted the significant burden outdo capabilities of the local authorities and the government, highlighting the program's role in mobilizing additional funding to tackle this humanitarian crisis, which is among the worst in Yemen and globally.

This situation is particularly evident in Marib, which has accommodated over 2.3 million displaced individuals, with the number of displacement camps exceeding 204, including Al-Jufayna Camp, the largest for displaced persons in Yemen.

Thousands of displaced people remain on waiting lists for inclusion in the program's beneficiary lists, despite meeting all eligibility criteria.

Miftah reiterated the local authority's commitment to strengthening humanitarian partnerships with the World Food Program, offering all necessary facilitation and support to implement its humanitarian interventions transparently and impartially, alleviating the suffering of citizens, including the displaced and host communities facing food insecurity or the threat of famine.

For her part, the WFP official appreciated the local authority's efforts in overcoming challenges and cooperating on the project to update the data of eligible food assistance recipients and mobilizing resources for the program.

She expressed understanding of the pressures and burdens the local authority faces due to the increasing number of displaced persons and the high demand for services.

She confirmed that the program would work on mobilizing more supporters and sufficient funding, which would lead to regular distribution of food rations when available.

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