HIGHLIGHTS
WFP delivers emergency food assistance to communities in Al Houthi-besieged areas of Ta’izz city
High-level UN mission travels to Ibb and Ta’izz governorates, conducts assessment in besieged areas of the city of Ta’izz
UN indefinitely postpones Yemen peace negotiations
KEY DEVELOPMENTS
USAID/FFP partner the UN World Food Program (WFP) reports that a 12-truck convoy entered the Al Houthi-besieged districts of Al Qahira and Mudhafa in the city of Ta’izz on January 21, delivering 3,000 household food rations, sufficient to support 18,000 people for a one-month period. The emergency food parcels comprised wheat, pulses, sugar and vegetable oil. WFP has delivered emergency food assistance to some areas of the city since December 2015; however, active fighting, blockades, and bureaucratic impediments had prevented the UN agency from reaching besieged areas. According to the USAID-funded Famine Early Warning Systems Network (FEWS NET) most households in Ta’izz are experiencing Emergency—IPC 4—levels of food insecurity.4
Republic of Yemen Government (RoYG) Vice President Khaled Bahah and members of the RoYG cabinet returned to Yemen’s southern port city of Aden on January 25. The return of the Vice President and other officials is aimed at establishing a permanent government presence in Aden, according to international media reports; however, officials did not provide further information regarding an expected timeline.
The UN has indefinitely postponed the next round of peace talks between the RoYG, Al Houthi representatives, and other stakeholders due to ongoing disagreements regarding the start date and location of the talks. Although the UN had anticipated resuming negotiations by late January, the date remains undetermined.