Civilization Collapse, Yemen Food Crisis

“It is not that climate change itself is causing the [hunger] crises. It is that climate change is increasing the suffering of the people.” —Moosa Elayah, senior scientist, Centre for International Development With only 3 percent arable land, Yemen has long relied heavily on imported foods to support its population of 28 million. The blockade of Yemen by a Saudi Arabia-led coalition since 2015---part of ongoing conflict stemming from the Yemeni Civil War----has resulted in skyrocketing food prices, leaving millions in Yemen on the brink of starvation. Climate change in the region may be exacerbating the food crisis in Yemen, if severe droughts of recent years reflect a trend toward a hotter, drier climate with shorter growing seasons that deepen the country's struggle to grow food.