LEILA FADEL, HOST:
Not many people are getting in and out of Yemen these days. Carl Skau did, though. He leads the U.N.'s World Food Programme. And we reached him just hours after he left.
CARL SKAU: I spoke to women who were not eating more than once or maybe not even once a day because they're not just getting the assistance they need. You know, we used to provide them food and cash. The food is now gone. And the cash is only every other month.
FADEL: Yemen is already in the middle of a civil war that's currently escalating between the Iran-backed Houthis, who control two-thirds of the country, and the internationally recognized government. Now parts of the country are in famine.
SKAU: I also spoke to young men who were eager to try to join the conflict because they also didn't have any opportunities. And they weren't able to put food on the table for their families.
FADEL: And since the U.S. and Israel started a war with Iran, the Houthis are getting involved in that regional conflict, too. They're threatening to shut down access to a strait in the Red Sea by attacking ships. And overnight, they struck Saudi oil facilities and other civilian infrastructure, injuring dozens. Skau says the consequences could be broad.
SKAU: We're extremely concerned that this escalates further - maritime trade, which are important for global food security as well. It has already disrupted the economy inside Yemen, with some 18 million people who are acutely food insecure. And this crisis is now pushing them further onto the brink. We have had severe cuts in our programs because of the cuts in funding over the past few months. So quite a desperate situation. But already these funding cuts are really having a great impact.
FADEL: And the funding cuts, are they because of the U.S. government's cuts to USAID and to the U.N.?
SKAU: Well, it's across the board. Obviously, in the north, the main issue is that we don't have the basic conditions to operate.
FADEL: Because of the Houthis' control there?
SKAU: Exactly. Seventy-three U.N. colleagues have been detained, 38 of them from WFP. Our offices are occupied. Our assets are confiscated. So the basic conditions to operate in the north is no longer there. In the south, it's really an impact of funding cuts. And that's across the board for donors. And so we assisted some 3 million people a year ago. We're now down to 1 million.
FADEL: What needs to happen so that more humanitarian aid can get to hungry people across Yemen?
SKAU: Well, I think, one, there needs to be political attention to this. I know the competition is high now. But this is a very critical situation, and so that there is diplomatic efforts to try to deescalate the situation and ultimately try to find a path towards a peaceful settlement here. Second, of course, we need to fund the humanitarian operations. We are effectively working in the south, and so those operations need to be funded. The people that have been displaced, that are struggling, need to be supported. And, third, there needs to be a solution in the north. The Houthis need to be convinced to allow for principled humanitarian action and for our colleagues to be released.
FADEL: You're speaking to the largest radio network in the United States. And there are going to be people who are listening thinking, well, Yemen is so far away - the Houthis are part of the problem. Why should I care about this? Why should my government care about this? What do you say to them?
SKAU: Twelve percent of world trade passes outside Yemen. And this conflict is now having a disruption on that trade route. In addition to the Strait of Hormuz that everyone knows about, in addition to the Black Sea, where there is escalation between Ukraine and Russia right now. And so these are three choke points that are really pushing global trade. And it's pushing up prices across not only in the developing world, but also in the U.S. and Europe. And so if this is not brought under control, it's going to have a massive impact on stability across the world.
FADEL: And for Yemenis, if something is not done to deescalate now, what does that mean for them?
SKAU: They are already struggling. Half the population are struggling to put food on their tables. And of course, further escalation is going to mean more displacement, more economic crisis. And, you know, Yemen is already a country that's importing 90% of its food. So these disruptions to trade route is also hitting hard on the Yemenis. And, you know, I met a lot of desperate people who just cannot take anything more. And children are already malnourished. They will have damage for the rest of their life unless they are being treated and supported urgently. And so we need attention to this situation. We need funding for our operations. And we need to be able to operate across the country.
FADEL: Carl Skau is the acting executive director of the World Food Programme. We're speaking just hours after he left Yemen. Thank you so much for speaking with us.
SKAU: Thank you for having me. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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