UN World Food Programme Calls For Ending War In Yemen, Wants To Boost Food Aid For Country

The UN World Food Programme (WFP) on Thursday called on the parties to the conflict in Yemen to end the hostilities and vowed to boost the food aid to the war-torn country.

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 15th November, 2018) The UN World Food Programme (WFP) on Thursday called on the parties to the conflict in Yemen to end the hostilities and vowed to boost the food aid to the war-torn country.

"What Yemen needs is peace ... Only then will it be possible to re-start the economy, get the Currency under control and start paying public salaries, so people can have the money they need to buy food and other basics," WFP Executive Director David Beasley said after his three-day visit to Yemen.

The WFP noted that the organization was preparing to scale up food and financial assistance to Yemeni residents.

"In the face of rapidly rising hunger, WFP is preparing to scale up to provide food and cash-based assistance for as many as 12 million people whose lives have been torn apart by the conflict. WFP is already reaching 7-8 million people with food assistance every month," the WFP said in a statement.

Yemen has been gripped by the civil war with the government headed by President Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi fighting the Shia Houthi movement. The government is backed by the Saudi-led coalition that has been carrying out airstrikes that target the areas controlled by the Houthis since March 2015.