Yemen Monitor / Sana’a / Exclusive:
The United Nations has warned of an unprecedented deterioration in food security in Yemen, stating that the country is on the “verge of a new humanitarian catastrophe,” the worst since 2022.
According to a report by the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), an estimated 18 million Yemenis face severe hunger, with up to 166 districts expected to slide into emergency levels of food insecurity.
The OCHA report indicated that Yemen has become the “third most food-insecure context in the world.” It added that up to 41,000 people are at risk of famine if sustained, large-scale aid is not provided. These are the worst forecasts since 2022, when Yemen was facing a full-scale conflict.
Internally displaced persons are particularly vulnerable. In June, seven out of ten displaced families reported being unable to meet their basic food needs. During the same month, one in three families spent a full day without food. The report emphasized that women and girls face increasing vulnerability, often consuming the least and last food, which puts them at greater risk.
The report attributed the humanitarian crisis to several key factors, most notably:
- Economic Collapse: Inflation and rising food prices have eroded families’ purchasing power, putting essential food items out of reach for millions.
- Conflict and Financial Restrictions: Israeli airstrikes and restrictions on the Yemeni financial system have caused further damage to infrastructure and livelihoods.
- Climate-Related Impacts: Delayed rainfall, drought, and floods have affected agriculture and livestock, putting 5.1 million farmers and 9.7 million herders at risk of losing their livelihoods.
The report revealed that Yemeni families have exhausted all survival methods, with four out of five families in June reporting that they had no savings. Families are resorting to selling assets, such as livestock, and reducing medical expenses to cover their needs. These measures have worsened the malnutrition crisis, with nearly half of Yemen’s children suffering from malnutrition.
Relief efforts face significant challenges due to a lack of funding, as the food security and agriculture sector has received only 10% of the required funding for 2025.
The report called for urgent funding of $241 million to address the accelerating deterioration of food security, especially in the most affected areas. The UN also announced a plan to inject an additional $20 million to target 17 districts suffering from the worst levels of food insecurity and malnutrition.
The OCHA report stressed that long-term solutions are essential to reduce reliance on aid. These solutions include stabilizing the economy, controlling inflation, resuming oil exports, and investing in climate-resilient agriculture.
