Yemeni families struggle to put food on the table

Since 2015, a persistent conflict between the Internationally Recognized Government of Yemen (IRG) and the de-facto authority (DFA) (also known as the Houthis) that is aligned with Iran, has resulted in a severe economic and humanitarian crisis.

The conflicting parties agreed to a United Nations (UN)-mediated truce on April 2, 2022, which expired on Oct. 2, 2022. More than three months after the truce expired, the UN envoy for Yemen said, “we are witnessing a potential step change” in the conflict’s trajectory though the situation remained “complex and fluid.”

According to the Center for Strategic and International Studies, “While not perfect, the truce enabled a level of stabilization within Yemen and provided a glimpse of a quieter future. Substantial improvements in humanitarian conditions, however, depend on continued international support and the willingness of the parties to facilitate humanitarian access and commit to a political solution.”

Since the end of the truce, the country’s fighting has largely slowed. However, renewed fighting in March 2023 killed at least 16. On May 17, UN Special Envoy Hans Grundberg debriefed the UN Security Council on the situation in Yemen. Grundberg reported that although military incidents continue to occur, hostility levels are significantly lower than before the truce. 

He also said, “But the fragility of the military situation, the dire state of the economy and the daily challenges facing the Yemeni people, provide us with constant reminders of why a more comprehensive agreement between the parties is so vital.”

In 2023, an estimated 21.6 million people in Yemen will need humanitarian assistance. The 2023 Humanitarian Response Plan for Yemen (HRP) requires $4.3 billion to reach the 17.3 million most vulnerable people in need of humanitarian support.

Currently, a staggering 21.6 million people require some form of humanitarian assistance as 80 percent of the country struggles to put food on the table and access basic services.