Geneva: The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) has warned of a sharp rise in hunger across Yemen, saying the number of people unable to meet their food needs has reached record levels amid escalating conflict.

Matthew Hollingworth, WFP’s Assistant Executive Director for Operations, said a record number of people living in areas under the control of the Yemeni government have become unable to meet their food needs within just a few weeks.

He said three out of four families are now being forced to cut the number of meals they eat as worsening economic and security conditions place further pressure on households.

Renewed fighting has also displaced tens of thousands of people, with families arriving on the outskirts of Aden and around Taiz with limited access to food and water.

The crisis has been compounded by rising prices of essential food items in a country that imports around 90 per cent of its food requirements.

Hollingworth said the WFP urgently needs $109 million in the coming weeks to assist around 152,000 newly displaced people, in addition to the 1.4 million people already receiving food assistance.

He warned that continued fighting and difficulties in reaching areas affected by conflict could further deepen the hunger crisis.

The WFP also cautioned that disruptions to shipping in the Red Sea and Bab al-Mandab Strait could drive up food and fuel prices, adding further pressure on already vulnerable communities.

Meanwhile, a recent analysis by UN Women warned that an additional 11.7 million women and girls across 28 countries, including Yemen, Sudan and Lebanon, could face food insecurity by the end of the year.