Yemen: UN warns 17 million will face acute food insecurity in 2025
The United Nations projects that more than 17 million people in Yemen—most of them in Houthi-controlled territories—will experience acute food insecurity this year, accounting for nearly half of the country’s population, Asharq Al-Awsat reported on February 11th.
According to the “2025 Yemen Humanitarian Response Plan” report published on February 8th by the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), 17.1 million Yemenis, almost 49% of the population, will struggle with severe food shortages in 2025.
This marks a slight decline from the previous year’s estimate of 17.6 million people, reflecting a reduction of around half a million individuals.
The report attributes Yemen’s prolonged food crisis to a complex web of underlying vulnerabilities and worsening conditions, including “intermittent conflicts, displacement, economic disruptions, currency instability, rising food prices, limited income and livelihood opportunities, and the impacts of climate change.”
Out of the people facing acute food insecurity in 2025, 12.4 million—or 73%—are located in Houthi-controlled regions, while 4.7 million reside in government-held areas.
Additionally, 5.1 million people are expected to face critical levels of food insecurity, with 4 million in the north and 1.1 million in the south.
In response, the UN’s humanitarian plan for this year aims to provide emergency food aid and livelihood support to 12 million of the most vulnerable individuals, including 6.6 million children, 2.6 million women, and 2.8 million men.
The UN had previously warned that its $2.7 billion appeal for 2024 received insufficient pledges, leaving major gaps in addressing Yemen’s humanitarian needs.
Asharq Al-Awsat
