International report: More than half of Yemen's population faces acute hunger.

Arab Sea Newspaper - News Updates

Arabian Sea - Yemen - Follow-ups: An international report has confirmed that Yemen is facing record levels of food insecurity, with more than half of the population expected to suffer from acute hunger in the coming months, amid declining humanitarian aid and a deteriorating local economy. According to the Joint Food Security and Nutrition Monitoring (JMR) report, 18.1 million people – equivalent to 52% of the population – will face acute food insecurity between September 2025 and February 2026. This includes 41,000 people at risk of famine (IPC Phase 5) in districts in the governorates of Hajjah, Amran, and Al Hudaydah. According to the report, during the period from May to August 2025, 17.1 million people suffered a food crisis (IPC Phase 3) or worse, including 5.2 million in emergency conditions (IPC Phase 4). The number includes 12.2 million in areas controlled by the Houthis and 4.95 million in areas of the internationally recognized government. The report said that internally displaced persons, poor rural families, marginalized communities – including the marginalized (Al-Muhamasheen) – in addition to unpaid public sector employees, unstable workers, and Red Sea fishermen, are the most vulnerable to the crisis. The report indicated that 44% of families across the country resorted to harsh coping strategies, such as reducing adult consumption in favor of children, while 54% of displaced families relied on emergency strategies, including begging. According to the report, the Yemeni riyal in government areas witnessed a sudden improvement in August, rising to about 1,662 riyals against the dollar after exceeding 2,800 riyals in July, which was reflected in a decrease in the prices of some goods. However, in the Houthi-controlled areas, the exchange rate remained almost constant at about 536 riyals per dollar, while the actual prices of goods in dollars remained higher than in the south. In June 2025, the report showed that 67% of families across the country suffered from inadequate food consumption, an increase of 12% compared to the previous year. The percentage reached 70% in government areas and 66% in Houthi areas. The report confirmed that Yemen is still facing one of the most severe malnutrition crises in the world, as 210 districts across 20 governorates are expected to experience very high or high levels of malnutrition. It pointed out that 72% of the areas classified in Phase 4 of food insecurity also suffer from high levels of malnutrition. In July 2025, the report recorded 372 "critical" alerts and 334 "high-risk" alerts across food and fuel import and exchange rate indicators. It explained that the prices of some imports in the Houthi-controlled areas were 205% higher than global prices, while food imports decreased by 33% compared to the previous year, affected by damage to ports in the Red Sea and a decrease in shipments through southern ports.