Media package - economic crisis statement

Economic crisis in Yemen

The fighting in the Hodeidah governorate forced Ridha Saleh, 35, and her ten family members to flee to the Lahj governorate, where there are other displaced families. Ridha has been struggling to provide her family with enough food as the prices are unaffordable.

“Before the war, the prices were low, and we used to have enough and healthy food like chicken, fish, and fruits, but, nowadays, we hardly get wheat flour, tomatoes, and potatoes and sometimes we don’t have at all,” she says.

Ridha states that she used to buy a 50kg bag of wheat flour before the conflict, but nowadays, she hardly buys a kilo or two.

“Prices of everything have been increasing, and they are unaffordable for us. We don’t have enough food. Sometimes we feed children, and we sleep hungry, a parent can bear hunger, but a child can’t,” she says.

“We tell our children that we are full, but we aren’t, and if they have enough food, we feel happy.”

Ridha confirms that they can’t buy many food items like rice, chicken, cheese, and they are only struggling to have wheat flour.

Photo: Mahmoud Al-Filastini/NRC