Fighting in Yemen cuts 800,000 people off from food aid

The United Nations World Food Programme said escalating fighting and closed roads in Yemen have prevented vital food aid from reaching 800,000 people. More than 18 million people in the country face acute food insecurity, while approximately 2.2 million children under five are experiencing acute malnutrition.

Scraper SystemOctober 14, 2026, 08:43 PM

Fighting in Yemen cuts 800,000 people off from food aid

Yemen’s deepening food crisis is worsening as fighting and security problems restrict access to humanitarian aid. The United Nations World Food Programme said vital food aid has been unable to reach 800,000 people across the country.

According to World Food Programme data, more than 18 million people in Yemen face acute food insecurity. Approximately 2.2 million children under five are experiencing acute malnutrition, including 500,000 suffering from severe acute malnutrition that directly threatens their lives.

Recent monitoring in areas accessible to humanitarian organizations found that 74 percent of households cannot meet their basic food needs. The programme warned that the inability to deliver aid to 800,000 people could have serious consequences.

The historic Old City in Yemen's capital, Sana'a (archive)

Hundreds of thousands in Taiz cannot access aid

Fighting and security problems in Taiz are preventing aid organizations from reaching people in need. As a result, aid cannot be delivered to more than 600,000 Taiz residents, including over 200,000 women and children.

The World Food Programme delivered emergency assistance in areas where humanitarian access remains possible to more than 115,000 people forced to flee their homes because of the fighting. The programme said it was ready to provide assistance to up to 1.5 million people if access is restored.

A view of one of Taiz's historic neighborhoods (archive)

Call made for UN personnel to be released

The programme also said that authorities under the Houthis’ de facto administration had detained 72 United Nations personnel, including 37 World Food Programme employees. The organization called for the detained personnel to be released immediately and unconditionally.

Background to the fighting in Yemen

Yemen’s civil war has continued since the Houthis established control over the capital, Sana’a, and some of the country’s provinces in September 2014. Fighting between government forces and the Houthis has deepened the humanitarian crisis in the country.

View of the Old City from the Ashrafiya Madrasa in Taiz (archive)