People in Yemen face famine unless the world takes immediate action, the World Food Programme (WFP) will warn today. 

Nearly 50,000 people in Yemen are already living in famine-like conditions with 5 million just a step away. 

David Beasley, WFP’s Executive Director, will press home the organization’s fears for the country at a high-level fundraising conference, hosted by the UN with the governments of Switzerland and Sweden.

With the COVID-19 pandemic still in full swing, the international community cannot wait for an official famine classification in Yemen to act. 

A famine classification in Yemen may never come because of the heavy burden of evidence required. It would have to be proven that 20 percent of households face an extreme lack of food; 30 percent of children suffer from acute malnutrition; and two people for every 10,000 are dying each day due to outright starvation or the interaction of malnutrition and disease.