Middle East: Malnutrition soars in conflict-ridden Yemen


It is hard to believe that Yemen is now in a situation where up to 5 million people are malnorished and are facing serious hunger.
Saudi Arabia has pledged over 3 billion USD to assist and other countries have pledged significant amounts as well.
But the situation in Yemen is complex.

• The government is not in charge, tribes typically are the only authority
• Al Qaida of the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) is making it hard to get anything done in the parts of the country they control
• A long history of chewing Qatt (a mild narcotic leaf) has depleted the ability to be self-sufficient in food production
• Relief and development organizations do not have enough Yemen-experienced staff available to move into large-scale projects. 

All in all a significant lack of Inter-Cultural Intelligence causes:

• Resources to be wasted
• Head office decisions of NGO's to not reflect the reality on the ground
• Bureaucratic decision making  takes too much time
• Expats that enter Yemen are not Inter-Culturally Intelligent in terms of local dynamics and make unnecessary mistakes
• International donors are trying to by-pass the government at a time when the government needs to be empowered to be seen as a strong contributor to the rebuilding of the nation. 

The reality is that unless serious efforts are made to intervene the people of Yemen will face a disaster that will have significant ripple effects throughout the region.