Humanitarian Crisis in Yemen as 83% of Population Faces Poverty
Amid escalating food insecurity and decreased U.S. aid, humanitarian organizations warn of unprecedented challenges in Yemen.
As Yemen grapples with an escalating food crisis, the Houthi movement is intensifying its confrontations with U.S. forces.
Humanitarian organizations have reported that Yemen is facing unparalleled challenges this year, coinciding with the cessation of U.S. aid and ongoing military operations targeting militia positions to safeguard maritime navigation.
Data from relief agencies indicate that only 5% of the $2.47 billion needed for the humanitarian response plan for this year had been funded by March.
This alarming gap between rising humanitarian needs and necessary funding could deny millions of Yemenis access to food, healthcare, and protection services.
Approximately 19.5 million people are expected to require humanitarian assistance and protection in 2024, a nearly 7% increase from the previous year.
Relief sector data shows that over 83% of Yemen’s population lives in poverty, with more than 4.5 million people internally displaced, many of whom have been displaced multiple times during the past decade.
Aid teams report increased demand for assistance in displacement sites.
Families residing in camps, lacking basic necessities, face significant challenges obtaining food, healthcare, and clean water, while malnutrition rates remain among the highest globally.
Proposals to cut U.S. contributions, which constituted over half of last year's humanitarian funding for Yemen, threaten to exacerbate this funding gap, putting millions at risk of hunger, disease, and further displacement.
For families who have endured years of displacement and insecurity, humanitarian aid has been critical for survival, despite the hardships of camp life, which offers little privacy or security.
Caroline Sekiwa, the Yemen country director for the International Rescue Committee, has emphasized that the potential reduction or cessation of support from donor governments is not only shortsighted but endangers millions of lives.
Yemen currently stands on the brink of catastrophe, and without immediate aid, there is a risk of losing years of hard-won progress.
These warnings coincide with the impending enactment of a U.S. decision banning the import of fuel through Houthi-controlled ports, a move expected to halt one of their key revenue sources, while simultaneously driving up fuel prices and, consequently, food prices in the areas under their control.
Humanitarian organizations have reported that Yemen is facing unparalleled challenges this year, coinciding with the cessation of U.S. aid and ongoing military operations targeting militia positions to safeguard maritime navigation.
Data from relief agencies indicate that only 5% of the $2.47 billion needed for the humanitarian response plan for this year had been funded by March.
This alarming gap between rising humanitarian needs and necessary funding could deny millions of Yemenis access to food, healthcare, and protection services.
Approximately 19.5 million people are expected to require humanitarian assistance and protection in 2024, a nearly 7% increase from the previous year.
Relief sector data shows that over 83% of Yemen’s population lives in poverty, with more than 4.5 million people internally displaced, many of whom have been displaced multiple times during the past decade.
Aid teams report increased demand for assistance in displacement sites.
Families residing in camps, lacking basic necessities, face significant challenges obtaining food, healthcare, and clean water, while malnutrition rates remain among the highest globally.
Proposals to cut U.S. contributions, which constituted over half of last year's humanitarian funding for Yemen, threaten to exacerbate this funding gap, putting millions at risk of hunger, disease, and further displacement.
For families who have endured years of displacement and insecurity, humanitarian aid has been critical for survival, despite the hardships of camp life, which offers little privacy or security.
Caroline Sekiwa, the Yemen country director for the International Rescue Committee, has emphasized that the potential reduction or cessation of support from donor governments is not only shortsighted but endangers millions of lives.
Yemen currently stands on the brink of catastrophe, and without immediate aid, there is a risk of losing years of hard-won progress.
These warnings coincide with the impending enactment of a U.S. decision banning the import of fuel through Houthi-controlled ports, a move expected to halt one of their key revenue sources, while simultaneously driving up fuel prices and, consequently, food prices in the areas under their control.
