WFP Warns of Escalating Hunger in Yemen Amid Renewed Conflict and Displacements

The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) has warned that hunger is rising sharply across Yemen as renewed fighting has displaced more than 149,000 people. According to the International Organization for Migration (IOM), many of those affected had previously suffered displacement due to the ongoing conflict, leaving food as one of the most critical immediate needs for fleeing families.

Recent monitoring by the WFP in accessible areas found that 74 percent of households were unable to meet their basic food needs, marking a record high for the year. Nationwide, 18.3 million people face acute food insecurity, including 2.2 million children under five who are acutely malnourished. Among them, 500,000 suffer from life-threatening severe acute malnutrition.

The agency noted that food access is being severely constrained by fighting, market disruptions, and escalating prices. In parts of Ta’iz, wheat flour prices rose by 10 percent in two weeks, while local traders estimate remaining wheat stocks cover only two months of demand. Because Yemen imports approximately 90 percent of its food, the country remains highly vulnerable to shipping and supply chain disruptions. The WFP warned that continued instability along the west coast and the Bab al-Mandab corridor could push prices higher across the region.

The conflict's impact has also spread internationally, with more than 3,700 people crossing the Bab al-Mandab Strait into Djibouti by late September, straining reception facilities and local humanitarian services.

To address the crisis, WFP has assisted more than 70,000 people in displacement hotspots across Ta’iz and Lahj, scaling its response with ready-to-eat rations. While the organization is prepared to scale up emergency aid to reach up to 1.5 million people, it faces severe operational and resource hurdles. To fund the immediate response, the agency had to reallocate resources from planned November food distributions, warning that vulnerable communities will face assistance gaps within a month without new funding.

Operations are further complicated by security constraints. Ongoing conflict has cut off access to parts of Ta’iz and Hodeidah, preventing WFP and partners from reaching roughly 350,000 people. Additionally, 73 UN personnel remain detained by Houthi de facto authorities, including 38 WFP staff members, whose immediate release has been urged by the agency and the UN Secretary-General.

The WFP stated that it requires $109 million to deliver emergency food and nutrition assistance to up to 1.5 million people impacted by the latest escalation, alongside $158 million to maintain regular operations for 2.4 million people through March 2027.

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