12.9 million Yemenis are food insecure and about 6.1 million are in "Emergency" Phase, while 6.8 million are in "Crisis" Phase, representing a 21 percent increase over the previous year, the latest FAO report says.

According to the latest release of the monthly FAO Food Price Index (FPI) and the new edition of the quarterly Crop Prospects and Food Situation report, 2015 cereal production in the Near East is expected to recover from last year's drought, driven by a projected 18 percent increase in output in Turkey. But conflicts continue to "severely" impact on agriculture and Iraq, Yemen and Syria continue to face an "escalating humanitarian crisis".

World cereal production in 2015 should amount to 2, 527 million tonnes and that represents a 1.1 percent decline from the record level in 2014. Nevertheless, this figure constitutes an improvement from the projections that were made last month, the FAO report highlighted.

Meanwhile, the FPI declined 0.9 percent in June compared to May. At 165.1 points, the index is now down 21 percent compared to a year ago and at its lowest level since September 2009.

The decline in the FAO FPI mainly came as a result of a drop of 6.6 percent in the price of sugar and of 4.1 percent in the prices of dairy products, which more than offset a rebound in palm oil and wheat quotations. Increasing worldwide demand for livestock feed, especially in Brazil, China and the United States, is supporting prices for coarse grains, including maize.

But those global price trends and favourable prospects for world cereal production mask localized hotspots of food insecurity, the report also cautioned.

Some 34 countries worldwide, including 28 in Africa - many hosting large numbers of refugees - are in need of external assistance for food, stated FAO.