UN Reports High Levels of Food Insecurity in Yemen Amid Ongoing Conflict

The World Food Programme (WFP) reports that three out of four families in parts of Yemen are experiencing hunger due to increased fighting that has displaced tens of thousands and disrupted food supplies. According to the WFP, 74 percent of households in accessible government-held areas are unable to meet their basic food needs, marking a record high for this year. Approximately 10 million people live in these areas. The situation reflects a worsening food insecurity crisis in a country that relies on imports for about 90 percent of its food, as market disruptions and reduced access to aid continue to escalate. Recent months have seen intensified conflict between Saudi-backed government forces and the Iran-aligned Houthi group, which controls significant portions of Yemen. Matthew Hollingworth, WFP’s Assistant Executive Director for Programme Operations, stated that the latest escalation poses a severe threat to food security, predicting a growing hunger crisis. The Houthis recently took control of the Red Sea coast from the internationally recognized government based in Aden. Displaced families arriving near Aden and Taiz are reportedly without food or water. The WFP is attempting to scale up its response to assist up to 1.5 million people but requires $109 million to do so. Without new funding, there may be gaps in assistance for vulnerable displaced individuals within a month. Overall, 18.3 million people in Yemen face severe food insecurity, including 2.2 million children under five who are acutely malnourished. The ongoing conflict is described as the most serious escalation since a UN-brokered truce in 2022. This conflict may also disrupt shipping lanes in the Red Sea, potentially affecting global food and fuel prices. By late September, over 3,700 people fleeing the violence had reached Djibouti via the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, and the International Organization for Migration (IOM) reports that more than 149,000 people have been displaced in Yemen, many multiple times.