Yemen faces worst food crisis since 2022, aid group warns

Aid cuts, conflict and economic collapse push millions of Yemenis towards severe hunger in 2026.Published On 19 Jan 2026Yemen, one of the world’s most impoverished nations, is entering a perilous new phase of food shortages with more than half the population – about 18 million people – expected to face worsening hunger in early 2026, according to the International Rescue Committee (IRC).The warning follows new projections under the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification hunger-monitoring system that were released on Monday and show an additional one million people at risk of life-threatening hunger. It also comes as Yemen is experiencing its latest internal conflict with external regional actors involved in fighting in the nation’s south.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemslist 1 of 3Yemen’s Saudi-backed government appoints new prime ministerlist 2 of 3Regained momentum sets Yemen government’s eyes on Houthis in the northlist 3 of 3What does Israel want in Somaliland?end of listThe assessment also forecasts pockets of famine affecting more than 40,000 people across four districts within the next two months – the bleakest outlook for the country since 2022.Years of war and mass displacement have shattered livelihoods and limited access to basic health and nutrition services.Those pressures now overlap with a nationwide economic collapse that has slashed households’ purchasing power and driven up food prices. At the same time, humanitarian assistance has sharply declined.By the end of 2025, Yemen’s required humanitarian response was less than 25 percent funded – the lowest level in a decade – while life-saving nutrition programmes received under 10 percent of the funding required, the IRC said.“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,” the organisation said in a statement.