Hunger increasing in Yemen, record number of people unable to meet food needs, WFP warns

The World Food Programme warns that hunger is accelerating in Yemen, with 74% of families in government-controlled areas unable to meet food needs due to a surge in fighting between Saudi Arabia and the Houthis. The conflict has displaced tens of thousands and disrupted supplies, threatening to reshape control in Yemen and impact Red Sea shipping lanes.

The World Food Programme (WFP) warns that hunger is accelerating in Yemen, with 74% of families in government-controlled areas unable to meet food needs due to a surge in fighting between Saudi Arabia and the Iran-aligned Houthi group. The escalation, the most serious since a UN-brokered truce in 2022, has displaced tens of thousands and disrupted supplies to millions. The Houthis, who already control most of northern Yemen, seized the country's entire Red Sea coast last month from Saudi-backed forces. Displaced families are arriving outside Aden and around Taiz without water or food. Prices of basic staples like wheat flour and vegetable oil are rising in a country that imports 90% of its food. WFP Assistant Executive Director Stephen Hollingworth described the situation as "absolutely devastating" and warned the hunger crisis will grow. WFP is scaling up its response but needs around $109 million in funding within weeks to avoid running out of food stocks for 152,000 newly displaced people and the 1.4 million it already supports. Hollingworth also noted potential ripple effects from disruption to the Bab el-Mandeb Strait and the Strait of Hormuz, which could drive up global food and fuel prices. A UN Women analysis said an additional 11.7 million women and girls across 28 countries could face food insecurity by year's end due to Middle East escalation.