Canadian intelligence reports terrorist groups may raise funds through Qat smuggling. The mildly narcotic shrub accounts for six percent of Yemen’s GDP, employs one in seven working Yemenis, depletes scarce ground water, and limits other agricultural production. Seventy-two percent of Yemeni men and 33 percent of Yemeni women chew qat although Yemen has one of the highest child malnutrition rates in the world. Yemeni President Saleh announced Thursday he may gradually stop chewing Qat.
