almotamar.net - The World Food Programme (WFP) said on Monday that it managed to provide food ration for over 70,000 internally displaced people (IDPs) in al-Mazrak and other camps in northern Hajjah.

The WFP has succeeded in reaching more than 70,000 IDPs living in camps cut off because of fighting in Sa'ada province's conflict-affected Hajjah governorate, providing them with a vital two-month food ration, a press release issued

Fighters allowed IDPs living in Al-Mazrak and other camps in northern Hajjah to pass through the roadblocks to pick up their rations from distribution points in Haradh and then return to the camps, WFP said.

Access is vital for carrying out humanitarian operations, and we appeal to all sides to allow life-saving food and other support to get through," said WFP Yemen representative and country director Bishow Parajuli. "It is far from ideal that these vulnerable people had to collect their rations in this way, but at least now they will have enough food for the next two months."

Since early October, there have been frequent clashes between armed groups in northern Hajjah and neighbouring Sa'ada governorates, leading to a fresh wave of displacement. WFP completed a two-month food distribution in al-Mazrak in October, but has not been able to get there since, the statement read.

In Yemen, WFP is providing relief assistance to a total of 600,000 IDPs; part of an overall caseload of some 5 million, including severely food-insecure people, malnourished children, pregnant women, nursing mothers and refugees.

According to the statement, WFP will launch in July 2014 a new two-year relief and recovery operation costing US$500 million, to reach some 6 million people with a range of activities, including school feeding, nutrition support, cash and food for work as well as assistance for the most food insecure.

"This new operation reflects a gradual shift from providing relief to building recovery and resilience, helping people overcome barriers to food and nutrition security and to manage the consequences of conflict and other problems," said Parajuli.