Yemen- Ukraine war pushes food prices higher in Yemen

Location: Aden-Yemen
Language: Arabic
Duration: 00:05:08
Sound: Natural
Source: A24 in Aden
Restrictions: A24 Subscribers
Date: 17/06/2022

Storyline:

The Russian invasion of Ukraine has dramatically caused a leap in food prices in the war-torn Yemen, where millions of people are at risk of famine and malnutrition due to war.

The United Nations data indicate that one third of Yemen’s wheat comes from Russia and Ukraine and Yemen imports 90 percent of its foodstuffs from abroad.

The war in Ukraine led over the past days to the rising prices of basic foodstuffs by 38 percent with staple wheat flour and vegetable oil recording the largest increases, according to the report on Yemen food security outlook during the months from March to September 2022.

Hamdi Najib, a Yemeni citizen, told A24 News Agency’s reporter that his salary is only fifty thousand Yemeni riyals, which is enough to buy one bag of flour. He said the government had promised to find a solution to the rising prices but nothing was resolved.

Um Ahmed, another citizen, spoke to A24 and said her family has one meal per a day and the family’s salary of thirty thousand Yemeni riyals is not even enough for a bag of flour.

Majid Al-Daeri, an economist, said the war in Ukraine has also affected prices across the world not only in Yemen.

Shotlist:

Soundbite (Hamdi Najib Yemeni Citizen):
“We used to buy a bag of flours that weighs 50 kilos and it was affordable but now we buy by the kilo because of the high price. My salary is only fifty thousand Yemeni riyals, which is enough to buy one bag of flour. I can afford one or two kilos, but some can’t. it is necessary to find a solution, they keep saying they are working on resolving the issue of rising prices but nothing has been resolved.”

Soundbite (Um Ahmed Yemeni Citizen):
“We are poor, we can only afford to eat once a day. We eat lunch but no dinner or we eat breakfast but no lunch. The salary is only thirty thousand Yemeni riyals, which is not enough to provide for the children. The salary is not even enough for a bag of flour, how to cover other expenses?!”

Soundbite (Majid Al-Daeri Economist):
“It is only natural that wheat imports and prices are affected by the crisis of the Russia-Ukraine war, which has afflicted the entire world, not just Yemen. The war has affected wheat imports and import ratios in the entire world, including Yemen, where 30 percent of total consumption consists of Russian and Ukrainian wheat. The war has also affected prices across the world, according to the global stock market price variables.”