Food Prices and Internal Migration in Yemen

Details

Supervisors

Maystadt, Jean-François

Faculty

Faculté des sciences économiques, sociales, politiques et de communication

Degree label

Master [120] en sciences économiques, orientation générale, à finalité approfondie

Abstract

In one of the most terrible humanitarian crisis of the 21st century, Yemen is facing a devastating food insecurity situation, with more than 20 million Yemenis suffering from severe hunger or malnutrition. Additionally, more than 4 million Yemenis are internally displaced. This study aims at sheding light on the complex interplay between food security and the internal displacement in Yemen. Using an exclusive set of data, the results suggests that the price of the minimum food basket has a positive impact on the migration decision. Moreover, I find that the first difference of prices with the last period has an even greater and significant positive impact on migration. Additionally, I find that conflicts at the governorate of origin plays a significant role in explaining the decision to migrate. The results are robust to different specifications and controls, which strengthens my confidence in the empirical strategy.