Seven million people in Yemen poor, three million lack food

Baleegh Al-Hutabi For the Yemen Times

September 21, 2009

As many as seven million people in Yemen- 35 percent of the population of 22 million- are poor. Almost three million of them cannot provide for their basic needs and food.

These figures are high compared with the occasionally decreasing numbers in some other countries in the Middle East and North Africa.

According to Ministry of Planning and International Cooperation, the United Nations (UN) and the World Bank, Yemen ranks the first in the region in terms of high poverty rates.

The country needs YR 124.4 billion per year to eradicate poverty in society as well as achieve the establishment of a modern democratic state.

In the past, Yemen was called Arabia Felix- Happy Arabia. However, it has become the poorest Arab country, according to the UN, in spite of the efforts exerted since the 1990 unification. Many five-year development plans that adopted comprehensive reforms were launched, but not much was achieved due to the dominance of poverty, particularly in rural areas.

According to the latest report issued by Ministry of Planning and International Cooperation, the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) and the World Bank in December 2007, the number of poor has remained fixed as around seven million people for past eight years.

"The poverty reduction ratio has remained terrible if compared with the Millennium Development Goals adopted by the Yemeni government, which made the poverty reduction as the first goal," said the report.

In a recent report issued by the Shura Council that was discussed last July, the number of the poor remained at seven million people, due to the high population growth estimated to be 3 percent. The report said that the increasing population is considered the major challenge in creating a modern state that respects citizens, protects their dignity and performs its duties including providing security and development.

While the report indicates that poverty was remarkably reduced in urban areas, it said that rural areas didn’t witness any progress in poverty reduction, and over 40 percent of people in rural areas live in poverty.

"Although the poverty level decreased recently, it is still high compared with other Middle east and North African countries.

To tackle this situation and alleviate poverty in the country, the Yemeni government needs YR 124.4 billion annually, which is 4 percent of the country’s GDP.

The report said that there is remarkable improvement in educating the poor and that poverty decreased among illiterate people from 45 percent in 1998, to 40 percent in 2008.

It further pointed to an increase in poor people's ability to attain health care when they have diseases compared with the situation in the past. They increased the use of local medical facilities. However, situation of the poor is still bad, as poor children are only limitedly vaccinated against measles and jaundice. In addition, they suffer from malnutrition. Poor women deliver babies without medical care.

Many people have a hard time obtaining food, and around 12.5 percent of the poor (three million people) cannot provide their basic needs. About 50 percent of them live on less than two dollars a day.

It pointed out that the monthly aid that the government offers to the poor to alleviate poverty (social security salary) is only YR 2,000 for a whole family, not an individual.

The report pointed out that price hikes aggravated poverty in Yemen. Food security is tenuous prices jumped in Yemen two years before it occurred in the world, which made a big group of society bear burdens of this hike throughout the past years.

Mohammed Al-Mekhlafi, a professor of economics at Sana’a University, said that the situation of Yemen is far from aspirations of its people to achieve the establishment of a real modern democratic state.

Saif Al-Asali, former Minister of Finance, attributed poverty in Yemen three main reasons: laziness, extravagance and lack of ambition. He said that to come out of this situation, individuals, society and the state should discuss consequences and negative impacts of the problems. He said Yemenis should work towards achieving justice, raising awareness and boosting the level of ambition among society.

Preventing oppression, raising awareness and encouraging cooperation would also help improve the situation, he said.

Poverty harms Yemeni women more than any other society members. They are not involved in managing economic and environmental resources. According to a study conducted by the National Committee for Women, there is a wide gap in enrollment in basic education between girls and boys.

The difference in rates of enrollment in education between rural and urban areas is attributed to weak access to education services in rural areas.

The study revealed that many women are subjected to the aggravating aspects of poverty, which obliges them to practice double roles inside and outside home. Many women are unable to manage affairs of their life.

A recent governmental economic report revealed expectations that the total poverty indicator will decrease in Yemen to 32.8 percent in 2010 and that the gap between rural and urban areas will shrink.

According to the third five-year development plan and poverty reduction for 2006 to 2010, the poverty indicator should decrease to 19.8 percent by the end of 2009.

The gap in urban areas should decrease 8 percent against 23.4 percent in rural areas. The report also expects that unemployment in Yemen will decrease to 15.2 percent by 2010.

Mutahhar Al-Abbasi, deputy Minister of Planning for Development Plans Sector, confirms that the government exerts efforts to eradicate poverty based on a strategic vision for Yemen in 2025 which aims to move Yemen to countries of mid-human development through economic, political, social and knowledge variety.

The report revealed that the government is still facing a number of challenges, the most important of which the weak participation ratio, 39 percent in economic activity and the weak education level of workers. More than 62 percent of workers do not have a basic education.