Yemeni women 'worse off' than before revolution

Four in five Yemeni women say their lives have got worse over the past year.

Facing a humanitarian crisis which has left one in four women severely malnourished, they told Oxfam researchers that the were struggling to feed their families and take part in the country's transition.

"The food crisis is the biggest impediment," said Oxfam's Sultana Begum.

"How could you expect people to participate in this very important process which is going to decide the future of the country when they're focused on day-to-day survival?"

The United Nations World Food Programme said that 10 million Yemenis - nearly half the population - did not have enough food to eat.

Many things are to blame, including soaring food and fuel prices.

Markets in cities and villages are brimming with fruit, vegetables and meat. But it is too expensive for people grappling with high unemployment, unrest and internal conflicts that have displaced families.

Many have sold their land and livestock, pulled their kids out of school and taken other desperate measures to survive.

Oxfam officials said that they've had to scale back some of their relief efforts, including handing out cash to needy families, because of a lack of funding.