Yemen hunger crisis deepens as war rages

Yemen faces a severe hunger crisis as the war between Saudi Arabia-backed government forces and Houthi rebels continues to intensify, according to the United Nations’ World Food Programme (WFP).

Matthew Hollingworth, WFP Assistant Executive Director for Programme Operations, told reporters that almost three out of four households, or 74 per cent, were unable to meet their basic food needs, marking the highest proportion recorded this year.

“People are finding it hard to put any food on the table, or if they indeed have a table if they’re displaced,” he said.

“They’re skipping meals, they’re eating a much smaller diversity of food types and they are facing hunger on a daily basis,” he added.

Hollingworth warned that this reflects how hunger continues to “accelerate” in the country and cautioned that the raging conflict threatens to devastate Yemen’s food security, as cited by Le Monde.

Severe malnutrition rises among children

Aside from the deepening hunger crisis, the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) said that one in four children were “acutely malnourished,” making them among the most vulnerable groups.

The agency also noted that 200 of the 2,900 children screened in areas where humanitarian workers have access were suffering from “severe acute malnutrition,” the most serious form of acute malnutrition, the New Arab reported.

Earlier, Yemen’s Ministry of Public Health and Population revealed an increase in confirmed cases of severe malnutrition among children under five between January and July 2026 compared with the same period in 2025.

Among governorates, Taiz recorded the highest number of severe malnutrition cases among children at 11,982, followed by Aden with 7,339 and Dhale with 6,710, Al Jazeera reported.

Meanwhile, Taiz reported a total of 24,529 cases of moderate malnutrition, followed by Abyan with 15,366 and Lahj with 11,893, highlighting the prevalence of malnutrition across the country.

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Rising food prices, fuel complicate situation

The hunger crisis and malnutrition among children are further complicated by the continuous increase in food and fuel prices, as well as the rising cost of other necessities as the war escalates.

Wafiq Saleh, an economic researcher and executive director of the Taiz Centre for Yemeni-Gulf Studies, noted that the country experienced a 10 per cent increase in fuel prices in Houthi-controlled areas.

Although Saleh emphasised that such a hike may be considered modest, the impact of the increase will ripple through various goods and services, adding to the burden on Yemenis.

Similarly, food prices are also sharply increasing, while local traders reported limited wheat flour stocks and disruptions to vegetable oil supplies, making it harder for locals to afford such necessities.

The war-ravaged country imports about 90 per cent of its food supply, leaving the majority of Yemeni families more vulnerable than ever.

Cholera, other diseases on the rise

The humanitarian crisis is also being compounded by increasing cases of cholera and other deadly illnesses, highlighting the country’s vulnerability to disease outbreaks.

Data from the World Health Organisation (WHO) in late September noted that the country had already recorded around 7,800 suspected cases of cholera and 22 reported deaths this year.

Likewise, the country recorded more than 22,000 measles cases as well as 37 deaths linked to dengue, raising concerns about further outbreaks due to poor sanitation and unsafe water conditions.

Despite the rising cases of such diseases, Dr. Annette Heinzelmann, WHO’s Regional Emergency Director for the Eastern Mediterranean, said that about nine health facilities in the country have been devastated, putting the healthcare system under severe strain.

Calls for immediate response

In response, WFP urged the international community to provide immediate funding and assistance to alleviate the situation, as humanitarian organisations face difficulties reaching people affected by the war.

Hollingworth stressed that the international community must take necessary action to help WFP ensure continued support for newly displaced individuals and Yemenis who depend on the agency’s assistance.

“We’re robbing Peter to feed Paul…If the world doesn’t step up soon to help Yemen, the outlook is going to get bleaker (because) the consequences of this conflict are stretching beyond Yemen,” he said.

The agency is in need of $109 million to provide emergency food and nutrition assistance to at least 1.5 million people affected by the war, alongside an additional $158 million to ensure regular operations through March 2027.

Despite funding challenges, WFP reaffirmed its commitment to supporting Yemenis after assisting more than 70,000 people across Lahaj and Taiz, which were described as “displacement hotspots.”

Conflict continues to escalate

The call came as the war between Iran-backed Houthis and Yemen’s Saudi-backed government forces continued to escalate in the past few weeks after a four-year period of calm in the country.

The escalation was triggered by a breakdown of a 2022 ceasefire deal after Saudi Arabia attacked Sana’a airport runway, prompting Houthi retaliatory blockades and missile strikes on energy infrastructure.

The situation has left hundreds dead and forced thousands to flee their homes, deepening the humanitarian crisis across Yemen, one of the poorest countries in the world.

It has also raised international concerns about a prolonged and wider regional war and severe global economic fallout against the backdrop of the broader United States-Iran conflict, highlighting the need for immediate action to restore peace and order.

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