Shipping Disruptions Deepen Yemen’s Food and Fuel Crisis

Aden — A leading international monitoring network has reported that regional conflict-driven shipping disruptions sharply reduced imports into Yemeni ports in May, worsening fuel and food price pressures across the country.

The Famine Early Warning Systems Network (FEWS NET), in its latest global price monitoring report released Tuesday, said imports fell by 7 percent at seaports under the internationally recognized government and by 37 percent at Houthi-controlled ports compared to April.

According to FEWS NET, the decline in shipments triggered official price hikes of 8 percent for diesel and 11 percent for gasoline. Rice prices also rose by 9 percent in government-held areas, while data from Houthi-controlled regions was unavailable.

The World Food Programme (WFP) had already warned in May of escalating hunger in Yemen, which relies on imports for 90 percent of its food needs. WFP cautioned that 18 million Yemenis facing food insecurity are at risk of sliding into more severe hunger as regional tensions drive up fuel, shipping, and insurance costs.

The turmoil in the Strait of Hormuz has compounded the crisis, reducing imports to several regional states including Yemen, while pushing shipping and insurance costs to record highs. Analysts note that hopes for easing pressures hinge on the recent memorandum of understanding between the United States and Iran, which could stabilize maritime flows if implemented.