Children are seen at a remote village in Midi District, Hajjah Province, north Yemen on Aug. 14, 2021.(Photo: Xinhua)

 

An acutely malnourished child lies on a bed in the al-Thawrah hospital in Hodeidah, the Red Sea port city of Yemen, Nov. 20, 2021.(Photo: Xinhua)

 
The World Food Programme (WFP) said on Wednesday that it would reduce food aid to Yemen as of January because it is running out of funds.

"From January, eight million (Yemenis) will receive a reduced food ration, while (the other) five million at immediate risk of slipping into famine conditions will remain on a full ration," the humanitarian agency said in a statement on its website.

Over half of the Yemeni population or 16.2 million people face acute hunger. Half of the Yemeni children under five are at risk of malnutrition, said the statement.

The WFP said it needs 1.97 billion U.S. dollars in 2022 to continue to deliver vital food assistance to families on the brink of famine.

Corinne Fleischer, WFP regional director for the Middle East and North Africa, urged donors to help for avoiding a "looming hunger catastrophe."

Yemen has been mired in a civil war since late 2014 when the Iran-backed Houthi militia seized control of several northern provinces and forced the internationally recognized government of President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi out of the capital Sanaa.

The seven-year war has caused the country's economy to collapse, pushing millions to the brink of famine.