The World Food Program (WFP) said Tuesday that it will continue operations in Yemen amid mounting insecurity that has forced the withdrawal of Western diplomats. "In these difficult times, WFP's role becomes even more important," WFP's Yemen Director Purnima Kashyap said. "And the current upheavals are certain to hit the poorest and most vulnerable hardest." According to WFP, 40 percent of Yemenis are short of reliable food supplies with some five million people already facing what the agency called a "severe" risk of hunger or malnutrition. WFP said that it reached 1 million people, including hundreds of thousands who have fled their homes, in January through local partners. Kashyap appealed to donors to continue their support for WFP activities in Yemen, saying that they needed $146 million for the next 12 months.
