Aden, Yemen, January 19, 2026 — People of Yemen are starving in silence, warns the International Rescue Committee (IRC), as funding reductions and ongoing insecurity compounds crisis.
- Yemen ranks as one of the most food-insecure countries globally
- The country is now carrying the highest burden of IPC Phase 4 globally
- Over 148,000 people entered into crisis or worse levels of food insecurity in 2025 alone
- Nearly 97% of respondents of IRC’s survey cited food as their number one need
Yemen is entering a dangerous new phase of food security with over half the population, 18 million people, expected to face worsening levels of food insecurity in early 2026. The latest Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) projections warn that an additional one million people are at risk of facing life-threatening hunger (IPC Phase 3+). Pockets of famine impacting over 40,000 people are expected in four districts within the next two months - the worst outlook for the country since 2022.
Years of conflict and displacement have devastated livelihoods and severely restricted access to basic health and nutrition services. This has been compounded by a nationwide economic collapse that has eroded household purchasing power, alongside a sharp decline in humanitarian assistance. By the end of 2025, the humanitarian response was less than 25% funded – the lowest level in a decade- while lifesaving nutrition assistance received less than 10% of the funding required.
This rapid deterioration - driven by catastrophic humanitarian funding cuts, climate shocks, economic collapse, and compounded by recent insecurity - calls for urgent action to reverse the unfolding catastrophe.
Caroline Sekyewa, the IRC’s Country Director in Yemen, says,
“People of Yemen still remember when they didn’t know where their next meal would come from. I fear we are returning to this dark chapter again. What distinguishes the current deterioration is its speed and trajectory.
“Food insecurity in Yemen is no longer a looming risk; it is a daily reality forcing parents into impossible choices. Some parents have told us they have started collecting wild plants to keep their children fed while they sleep on an empty stomach. Rising prices, the brunt of conflict and prolonged displacement are pushing households deeper into crisis.
“Yemen’s food security crisis is not inevitable. Immediate, targeted donor action in the coming months can prevent widespread loss of life and help communities get back on their feet before emergency conditions escalate further. IRC’s evidence shows that cash assistance remains one of the most effective ways to help families meet their food needs with dignity, protect their children, and avoid resorting to harmful ways for survival. It is not too late to prevent an even greater tragedy.”
Read our latest briefing, “Surging Food Insecurity: People of Yemen are Starving in Silence.”