World Food Programme warns of hunger threat in Yemen

"Nearly half of Yemenis go to bed hungry every night as political instability compounds a global food and fuel price surge, giving the Arabian Peninsula state the world's third-highest rate of child malnutrition, the World Food Programme [WFP] said on Sunday," Reuters reports. The country "has been in turmoil since last year's revolt against 33 years of rule by Ali Abdullah Saleh," the news service notes, adding, "The number of people receiving daily WFP food rations has risen from 1.2 million in January to over 3.8 million, but poor infrastructure and fear of kidnappings by tribes have complicated the logistics of providing food aid." According to Reuters, "[i]nternational donors pledged $1.46 billion in aid to the country of 24 million at a meeting in New York on Thursday attended by President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi, who said the pledge would help Yemen avoid a civil war" (Hammond, 9/30).