'Children are dying': Yemen's humanitarian crisis worsens as hunger, aid cuts and famine fears mount

As Yemen joins countries like Sudan in being overlooked by the international community, unfolding events demand that the world not look away.

In recent weeks, the United Nations (UN) has warned that Yemen's humanitarian situation is deteriorating rapidly, with a worsening funding crisis threatening to reverse years of fragile progress and children paying the heaviest price as hunger, malnutrition and the collapse of health services accelerate.

Providing further detail on the scale of the crisis, Julian Harneis, the UN Resident Coordinator and Humanitarian Coordinator for Yemen, told reporters in Geneva that the situation is "very worrying", adding that "we expect things to be much worse this year."

Those concerns are shared beyond the UN. Echoing Julian's assessment, the International Rescue Committee (IRC) warned that millions of people across Yemen are facing a horrifying hunger crisis.

The organisation pointed to a sharp deterioration in food security, a steep decline in humanitarian funding — particularly for food assistance — and persistent insecurity, cautioning that the convergence of these factors risks the worst humanitarian scenario the country has seen in years.

Independent data further reinforces these warnings. In its latest report, the UN-backed Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) said more than half of Yemen's population — around 18 million people — is expected to face worsening levels of food insecurity in early 2026.

It also warned that pockets of famine could emerge within the next two months, potentially affecting more than 40,000 people in four districts.

A worsening outlook

Looking ahead, UN projections suggest the crisis will deepen, with an estimated 21 million people requiring humanitarian assistance in 2026, up from 19.5 million last year.

Explaining the factors behind the increase, Julian cited economic collapse, the breakdown of basic services — including health and education — and prolonged political uncertainty.

He added that, while funding from Western countries is declining, there is hope that support from Gulf states could expand.

The funding shortfall is already having serious consequences, with the United States and several major Western donors cutting aid as they shift resources to defence, deepening a broader crisis for the UN in a country where more than a decade of war has destroyed infrastructure, disrupted food supplies and entrenched widespread hardship.

The human cost of these cuts, Julian warned, is already visible. "Children are dying, and it will get worse," he said, adding, "I fear the world will only hear about it once mortality rates rise dramatically."

He also warned that food insecurity will worsen nationwide, alongside rising malnutrition, saying: "For 10 years, the UN and humanitarian organisations have managed to reduce mortality and improve disease rates, and this year will not be the case."

Financial figures underline the severity of the situation. Julian said the UN received only around $680 million in 2025 — just 28 per cent of the funding required for its Yemen operations.

As a result, he warned, the health system — supported by the UN and the World Bank for more than a decade — faces severe shortages this year, increasing the risk of widespread disease outbreaks.

As the crisis evolves, Yemen is entering a more complex humanitarian phase, as Julian described. Millions are now facing acute food insecurity alongside rising displacement and the growing threat of disease.

In addition, more than 450 health facilities have already closed, while further funding shortfalls risk shutting additional centres and disrupting essential vaccination programmes, raising fears of the return of dangerous diseases, including cross-border outbreaks such as measles and polio.

Ultimately, Julian said the deterioration reflects a combination of long-term pressures, including economic collapse, the breakdown of basic health and education services, political uncertainty, and ongoing insecurity.

He added that recent political and military developments, particularly in the south, have further complicated humanitarian access, obstructing aid delivery to those most in need.

The IRC perspective

Weighing in on the unfolding crisis, the IRC's country director in Yemen, Caroline Sekyewa, said on Monday, 19 January 2026, that food insecurity "is no longer a potential threat but a harsh daily reality forcing families into impossible choices."

She also described how some parents are now gathering wild plants to feed their children while going hungry themselves.

Going further, Caroline said the speed of the current deterioration is the most dangerous factor, amid rising prices, the continued effects of conflict and protracted displacement, and economic collapse that has eroded households' purchasing power.

She warned that urgent donor intervention could ease the severity of the catastrophe, but only if it comes within the next few months.

With this in mind, it is worth noting that the IRC highlighted Yemen currently bears the world's largest burden of people in Phase 4 of the IPC classification — the emergency stage preceding famine — and that more than 148,000 people entered crisis or worse levels of food insecurity in 2025 alone.

According to IRC data, about 97 percent of respondents in its field surveys said food is their top priority. By the end of 2025, humanitarian action in Yemen was funded at less than 25 percent of total requirements — the lowest level in about a decade — while life-saving nutrition programmes received less than 10 percent of the funding needed.

The decline reflects a complex mix of factors, including ongoing armed conflict, the destruction of livelihoods, restricted access to health and nutrition services, climate shocks and a sharp drop in international aid.

The IRC said direct cash assistance remains among the most effective interventions to help families secure food with dignity, protect children from severe acute malnutrition, and avoid harmful coping strategies such as child labour or reducing daily meals.

Yemen's crisis in focus

Upon reflection, Yemen stands at the epicentre of global humanitarian concern, a country scarred by a decade-long war that has destroyed lives, uprooted millions, and collapsed the very structures that sustain human survival.

Today, about two-thirds of Yemen's population depend, directly or indirectly, on humanitarian aid, navigating the compounded effects of declining government revenues, divided institutions, and a weakened local currency.

Yet despite repeated warnings from the UN and international organisations, humanitarian funding continues to fall far short of growing needs. Millions — particularly women and children — remain at risk of hunger, malnutrition, and preventable disease.

Aid agencies warn that Yemen risks returning to scenes of famine without urgent international intervention, and that the window to prevent the worst is rapidly closing.

Speaking to reporters on 19 January, Julian said that operations are currently limited to areas under the internationally recognised government's control. UN agencies remain unable to deliver assistance to Houthi-controlled regions, which account for roughly 70 per cent of humanitarian needs in the country.

Despite these constraints, Julian said the UN and its partners reached 3.4 million people with food assistance last year, providing emergency support during floods and disease outbreaks. However, he cautioned that declining funding threatens the ability to sustain this level of response.

The security situation for UN staff has also become increasingly precarious. Since 2021, 73 employees have been detained, with devastating effects on their families.

"There are families who have not seen their loved ones for five years. They do not know the conditions of their detention, where they are, or whether they may face death sentences in the coming days," Julian said.

The crisis escalated in September 2025 when the UN moved its resident coordinator's office to the southern city of Aden, more than a week after at least 18 UN staff were detained in Houthi-controlled Sanaa.

"Seeing our humanitarian response constrained in this way is terrifying," Julian said, adding that Houthi officials have previously stated the legal immunities granted to UN staff should not be a "cover for espionage."

This is an edited translation from our Arabic edition, translated by Afrah Almatwari; to read the original, click here.