almotamar.net - Six out of 10 people in Yemen will need humanitarian aid next year, according to an assessment done by the United Nations and humanitarian partners in the country.

The 2014 Humanitarian Needs Overview finds nearly 15 million Yemenis out of a population of 25 million will require assistance.

"The 15 million who will need aid next year is more than this year when 13.1 million needed humanitarian assistance. However, the larger number does not necessarily reflect an increase in need but rather improved assessments. Almost half of all Yemenis are food-insecure and over one million girls and boys under five are suffering from acute malnutrition", Jens Laerke, spokesperson for the UN Humanitarian Affairs office (OCHA) in Geneva, said.

Jens Laerke added that political turmoil in Yemen has plunged the country into an acute humanitarian crisis with more than half of citizens living below the poverty line.