SANAA // Yemen is facing a humanitarian crisis requiring urgent international aid, a UN mission in the country said yesterday, warning that the months-long power struggle must not lead to "collective punishment" of its citizens.
The mission's statement came after a separate study found 10,000 Yemeni families are not getting enough to eat because the political turmoil has driven up prices of food and fuel, cost people their jobs and crippled the country's oil industry.
Nearly six months after huge protests began against the regime of the country's president, Ali Abdullah Saleh, life is becoming ever more desperate for Yemenis. The uprising has become increasingly violent and Yemen's leaders show no sign of resolving the stalemate that is taking a grim toll on the impoverished country's fragile economy.
"Yemen is facing a humanitarian plight attributed to deliberate acts or a failure to take action," the mission from the United Nations High Commission for Human Rights said in a statement at the end of a nine-day visit.
"We remind everyone that civilians must not fall hostage to collective punishment because of the power struggle."
The mission said a breakdown of security and a spread of lawlessness are fuelling the suffering. Fuel and electricity are in short supply and it is difficult to deliver food to rural areas, the statement said. Health and education services are being hampered while inflation and high unemployment have led to an economy dependent on the black market.
The mission's statement echoes the findings in a report released on Monday by the Studies and Economic Media Centre (SEMC), a Sanaa-based non-profit organisation.
The report warned that the rise in food costs and the shortage of fuel are making it difficult for about 9 million Yemenis to get the food they need.
The price of food staples such as wheat, flour, sugar, yogurt and milk have increased by 40 to 60 per cent. It estimates that the cost of transporting goods has risen by 60 per cent.
The report said the violence has caused a serious shortage of fuel products such as gasoline and diesel. Prices for those items have risen by 900 per cent, the report said. The punishing fuel prices have "affected the prices of all commodities and paralysed the function of many economic sectors and some service activities," the study said.
The government on Tuesday said the growing food crisis has nothing to do with the political stalemate. "We understand food insecurity is a very serious issue and we have been working on this with international donors and agencies," said Hisham Sharaf, minister of trade and industry. "But, it has nothing to do with the current political problem." The government also said in a statement on Tuesday that the country has enough food to last for months.
Nonetheless, the authors of the study see a connection. Because of the fuel problems, a water shortage has worsened. The price of water, the study says, has jumped by 202 per cent partly because there is not enough fuel to operate well pumps.
Yemen is one of the poorest countries in the world with nearly half of its 24 million people living in poverty. About 7 million do not have the money for three meals a day, according to the aid organisation Oxfam. Roughly 40 per cent of the population is undernourished, according to the World Bank.
Yemen ranks 11th in the world for food insecurity and second for malnutrition in children under age 5, according to the United Nations World Food Programme.
Mustafa Nasr, director of the SEMC, said the political stalemate is making food more difficult to get. He said many Yemeni families "are now under the threat of famine," said Mr Nasr.
He also took issue with the government's claim that there is an adequate supply of food. He said the critical issue is not the supply but a person's ability to afford the food.
"The availability of food does not mean that a majority of the people will be able to get it. It will go to the well-off," Mr Nasr said.
The fuel crisis also increases as the government remains in limbo. Hundreds of drivers wait for days to get petrol. Shootings have become common at fuel stations.
Shortages intensified in March after tribesmen in the province of Mareb damaged the main pipeline that carries crude oil to Ras Eisa port on the Red Sea. Yemen relies on fuel imports for more than half of its needs. The disruption at the Aden refinery has forced the country to increase fuel imports when it can least afford to.
Mr Sharaf said the government spends $450 million (Dh1.7bn) on importing fuel each month, while before the attack on the pipeline, the government used to spend only $180m. "This is a nagging problem and it is draining off our money. We are importing everything after the attack on the pipeline and we are paying extra money to secure the oil tankers while on roads," he said.
Political leaders both for and against Mr Saleh's government have accused each other of backing tribesmen to act as saboteurs.
Mr Saleh is in hospital in Riyadh after an apparent assassination attempt last month. He has not given any clear indication when, or if, he will return to Yemen, but western diplomats said his injury is serious and he is not likely to come back before two months. Diplomatic efforts have so far failed to convince the president to step down and transfer power to his vice-president.
The report has warned that these price rises and the inability to acquire food would have far-reaching and disastrous impacts on poor Yemenis, including psychological and social damage.
The study urged Yemen's leaders to prevent a looming humanitarian and economic crisis. It also urged government forces and tribal groups to allow fuel tankers safe access to cities.
Like thousands of people, Ahmed Mohsen, a father of six children, has lost his job and finds it difficult to feed his family: "I used to work as a brick worker but for the last five months, the business has been paralysed. I am not able to bring enough food to my family because the money I saved is running out.
"Everything is expensive and we have started to have two meals," Mr Mohsen said.
malqadhi@thenational.ae
NO OTHER LAND
Director: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham, Rachel Szor, Hamdan Ballal
Stars: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham
Rating: 3.5/5
MATCH INFO
Manchester United 2
(Martial 30', McTominay 90 6')
Manchester City 0
Afghanistan squad
Gulbadin Naib (captain), Mohammad Shahzad (wicketkeeper), Noor Ali Zadran, Hazratullah Zazai, Rahmat Shah, Asghar Afghan, Hashmatullah Shahidi, Najibullah Zadran, Samiullah Shinwari, Mohammad Nabi, Rashid Khan, Dawlat Zadran, Aftab Alam, Hamid Hassan, Mujeeb Ur Rahman.
Anghami
Started: December 2011
Co-founders: Elie Habib, Eddy Maroun
Based: Beirut and Dubai
Sector: Entertainment
Size: 85 employees
Stage: Series C
Investors: MEVP, du, Mobily, MBC, Samena Capital
The%20specs
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'Cheb%20Khaled'
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SPECS
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EEngine%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E4-litre%20flat-six%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPower%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E525hp%20(GT3)%2C%20500hp%20(GT4)%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETorque%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E465Nm%20(GT3)%2C%20450Nm%20(GT4)%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETransmission%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ESeven-speed%20automatic%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EFrom%20Dh944%2C000%20(GT3)%2C%20Dh581%2C700%20(GT4)%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EOn%20sale%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ENow%0D%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Read more about the coronavirus
New Zealand 15 British & Irish Lions 15
New Zealand 15
Tries: Laumape, J Barrett
Conversions: B Barrett
Penalties: B Barrett
British & Irish Lions 15
Penalties: Farrell (4), Daly
Straightforward ways to reduce sugar in your family's diet
- Ban fruit juice and sodas
- Eat a hearty breakfast that contains fats and wholegrains, such as peanut butter on multigrain toast or full-fat plain yoghurt with whole fruit and nuts, to avoid the need for a 10am snack
- Give young children plain yoghurt with whole fruits mashed into it
- Reduce the number of cakes, biscuits and sweets. Reserve them for a treat
- Don’t eat dessert every day
- Make your own smoothies. Always use the whole fruit to maintain the benefit of its fibre content and don’t add any sweeteners
- Always go for natural whole foods over processed, packaged foods. Ask yourself would your grandmother have eaten it?
- Read food labels if you really do feel the need to buy processed food
- Eat everything in moderation
In numbers: PKK’s money network in Europe
Germany: PKK collectors typically bring in $18 million in cash a year – amount has trebled since 2010
Revolutionary tax: Investigators say about $2 million a year raised from ‘tax collection’ around Marseille
Extortion: Gunman convicted in 2023 of demanding $10,000 from Kurdish businessman in Stockholm
Drug trade: PKK income claimed by Turkish anti-drugs force in 2024 to be as high as $500 million a year
Denmark: PKK one of two terrorist groups along with Iranian separatists ASMLA to raise “two-digit million amounts”
Contributions: Hundreds of euros expected from typical Kurdish families and thousands from business owners
TV channel: Kurdish Roj TV accounts frozen and went bankrupt after Denmark fined it more than $1 million over PKK links in 2013
The%20Genius%20of%20Their%20Age
%3Cp%3EAuthor%3A%20S%20Frederick%20Starr%3Cbr%3EPublisher%3A%20Oxford%20University%20Press%3Cbr%3EPages%3A%20290%3Cbr%3EAvailable%3A%20January%2024%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Frankenstein in Baghdad
Ahmed Saadawi
Penguin Press
Specs
Engine: Dual-motor all-wheel-drive electric
Range: Up to 610km
Power: 905hp
Torque: 985Nm
Price: From Dh439,000
Available: Now
The specs
AT4 Ultimate, as tested
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
Power: 420hp
Torque: 623Nm
Transmission: 10-speed automatic
Price: From Dh330,800 (Elevation: Dh236,400; AT4: Dh286,800; Denali: Dh345,800)
On sale: Now
The more serious side of specialty coffee
While the taste of beans and freshness of roast is paramount to the specialty coffee scene, so is sustainability and workers’ rights.
The bulk of genuine specialty coffee companies aim to improve on these elements in every stage of production via direct relationships with farmers. For instance, Mokha 1450 on Al Wasl Road strives to work predominantly with women-owned and -operated coffee organisations, including female farmers in the Sabree mountains of Yemen.
Because, as the boutique’s owner, Garfield Kerr, points out: “women represent over 90 per cent of the coffee value chain, but are woefully underrepresented in less than 10 per cent of ownership and management throughout the global coffee industry.”
One of the UAE’s largest suppliers of green (meaning not-yet-roasted) beans, Raw Coffee, is a founding member of the Partnership of Gender Equity, which aims to empower female coffee farmers and harvesters.
Also, globally, many companies have found the perfect way to recycle old coffee grounds: they create the perfect fertile soil in which to grow mushrooms.
COMPANY PROFILE
Initial investment: Undisclosed
Investment stage: Series A
Investors: Core42
Current number of staff: 47
The specs: 2018 Maserati Ghibli
Price, base / as tested: Dh269,000 / Dh369,000
Engine: 3.0-litre twin-turbocharged V6
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Power: 355hp @ 5,500rpm
Torque: 500Nm @ 4,500rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 8.9L / 100km
Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
Aquaman%20and%20the%20Lost%20Kingdom
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Fixtures (all times UAE)
Saturday
Brescia v Atalanta (6pm)
Genoa v Torino (9pm)
Fiorentina v Lecce (11.45pm)
Sunday
Juventus v Sassuolo (3.30pm)
Inter Milan v SPAL (6pm)
Lazio v Udinese (6pm)
Parma v AC Milan (6pm)
Napoli v Bologna (9pm)
Verona v AS Roma (11.45pm)
Monday
Cagliari v Sampdoria (11.45pm)
The National's picks
4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young
The specs
Engine: 1.5-litre turbo
Power: 181hp
Torque: 230Nm
Transmission: 6-speed automatic
Starting price: Dh79,000
On sale: Now
Saturday's schedule at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix
GP3 race, 12:30pm
Formula 1 final practice, 2pm
Formula 1 qualifying, 5pm
Formula 2 race, 6:40pm
Performance: Sam Smith
Skewed figures
In the village of Mevagissey in southwest England the housing stock has doubled in the last century while the number of residents is half the historic high. The village's Neighbourhood Development Plan states that 26% of homes are holiday retreats. Prices are high, averaging around £300,000, £50,000 more than the Cornish average of £250,000. The local average wage is £15,458.
THE SIXTH SENSE
Starring: Bruce Willis, Toni Collette, Hayley Joel Osment
Director: M. Night Shyamalan
Rating: 5/5
MATCH INFO
Juventus 1 (Dybala 45')
Lazio 3 (Alberto 16', Lulic 73', Cataldi 90 4')
Red card: Rodrigo Bentancur (Juventus)
