Yemen faces severe food crisis, aid group says its at its worst since 2022

Yemen Faces Severe Hunger Crisis in 2026, According to International Rescue Committee Projections

A recent report from the International Rescue Committee (IRC) has warned of a severe food shortage crisis in Yemen by early 2026. The assessment, released on Monday, projects that over half of the population, approximately 18 million people, will face worsening hunger in the coming months.

The IRC’s Integrated Food Security Phase Classification system indicates an additional one million people at risk of life-threatening hunger. Additionally, pockets of famine are forecasted to affect more than 40,000 people across four districts within the next two months.

Yemen is currently experiencing internal conflict and external regional involvement in fighting in the nation’s south. The country has also been affected by years of war and mass displacement, which have shattered livelihoods and limited access to basic health and nutrition services.

The economic situation in Yemen has also deteriorated, with a nationwide economic collapse that has reduced households’ purchasing power and driven up food prices. Humanitarian assistance has declined sharply, with the required humanitarian response being less than 25 percent funded by the end of 2025 - the lowest level in a decade.

According to IRC officials, the rapid deterioration of the situation is alarming and calls for urgent action to reverse the unfolding catastrophe. The organization’s country director in Yemen, Caroline Sekyewa, stated that families are being forced into desperate choices due to food insecurity, with some parents resorting to collecting wild plants to feed their children.

Sekyewa emphasized that the crisis is preventable and urged immediate donor action, citing cash assistance as an effective tool to help families meet their basic needs with dignity. The humanitarian warning comes amid renewed political and security tensions in Yemen, which has been a focus of strain between Gulf neighbours Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates in recent months.

Source: Al Jazeera