3.2 - Food Shortages Case Study: Yemen (Paper 1)

Question 1

Explain the causes of food shortages in Yemen:

Answer 1

• In 2015 after years of internal conflict, civil war broke out which have led to over 4 million Yemenis to be displaced. Due to Internal infrastructure like roads, communication and transport being destroyed, it stopped the movement and transportation of food across the country. Imports also cannot happen due to blockades at the ports in Yemen, this causes food shortages. (1)
• In 2019, 80 different kinds of pests including locusts hit Yemen, and destroyed many different types of crops. This is because they chew leaves and spread plant pathogens which could contaminate food. This couldn’t be combatted using pesticides and fertilisers due to the money being spent on the military due to the on going civil war which causes food shortages. (1)
• Due to the economy relying on agriculture, Yemen exports 83% of the crops it produces per year on average. As well as this, In Yemen, the population increased from 26.5 million to 30 million in 2015. Due to this large increase, this stimulates high demand for food due to the growing population and this has resulted in food shortages due to more cash crops being planted. (1)

Question 2

Explain the effects of food shortages: (3)

Answer 2

• Due to the ongoing war and conflict causing food shortages, food cannot be produced and harvested so Yemen became dependent on imports for 90% of its grain supplies. Most of these grains come from Ukraine but it’s supply and security of the food has also been affected due to its ongoing conflict with Russia which has resulted in a negative effect of food shortages for Yemen. (1)
• In Yemen, due to the economy relying more on imports and the harsh circumstances Yemen is surrounded by, this has resulted in many farms being rendered useless and resulting in unemployment. Since the civil war broke out, over 50% of the population working in agriculture have lost their jobs and as a result of this, 80% of the population live below the poverty line which is a negative effect. (1)
• Since 2015, food prices have been rising significantly in Yemen increasing by 30-70%. This has resulted in people not being able to afford a proper diet and this could lead to health problems including malnutrition and undernutrition. (1)

Question 3

Explain the solutions to food shortages in Yemen: (3)

Answer 3

• The World Food Program (WFP) is helping Yemen by providing 13 million people with food assistance through rations, vouchers and cash transfers. This reduces national hunger in Yemen and the population having food can help improve their productivity. (1)
• The investment in agriculture is one key area of the World Bank’s support to the Yemeni people. The World Bank invests $36 million into agriculture and this can lead to the necessary infastructure being built for agriculture and an increased crop yield. (1)
• Yemen plans to increase imports of fertilizers to reach 9,200 metric tonnes by 2026. Fertilizers like nitrogen can then be added to crops to increase the crop yield which could reduce food shortage in Yemen. (1)