51 percent of Yemeni inhabitants under poverty line

Yemen's national report for human development for the year 1998 has shown a reduction in the level of expenditures on social services, especially in the sectors of health and education. It also referred to an increase of poverty to 51% encompassing 9 million Yemenis.

A report set up by university professors and governmental experts said that the share of health sector is 41% of the general budget, while the education sector's share fell from 19% to 16% in last two years.

Moreover the report related the aspect of poverty to the reduction of average wages by 70% between 1991 and 1996, the increase in unemployment, removing governmental price support from goods and basic services which resulted in an increase in prices by 268% in the period from 1992 to 1997.

The report said that poverty in Yemen reached grave levels and the poverty rate increased between 1992 and 1997 from 19% to 51% of inhabitants, from 3.2 million citizens to 9 million.