A community committee in Taiz province, southwestern Yemen, announced on Monday, October 21, 2024, that 88% of the families removed from the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) aid lists are "extremely poor and impoverished."

In a statement reviewed by "Barran Press," the committee, identifying itself as "community and service-oriented," expressed deep concern over the impact on already vulnerable families affected by the ongoing war and severe blockade in Taiz. They noted that a significant number of citizens targeted for assistance by the WFP have been unjustly removed from the aid lists.

The committee reported that it had contacted the implementing partner, Humanitarian Access, to verify the situation of the affected families. They highlighted that 85% of those removed were from the most impoverished and severely affected households.

According to the committee’s findings, the WFP's removal process did not follow a systematic approach to exclude the least affected; rather, it appeared to be almost arbitrary. This decision has caused widespread panic and unrest among the affected families.

Consequently, the committee has called on the WFP to reconsider its decision, urging it to take into account the "extraordinary" circumstances faced by the city and to add more families to the targeted assistance list due to the high population density and the prevalence of hunger among the displaced and homeless.

Locally sourced reports earlier indicated that the WFP has reduced its assistance in Taiz, cutting support for 33,000 beneficiary cases, effective from the next aid cycle.

Also Read : International Shortages and Local Deficits Leave Yemeni Families Excluded from Food Aid