Yemen Humanitarian Catastrophe Intensifies
UN Aid Chief Warns of Rising Hunger, Health Risks
Sana’a/Geneva: Yemen’s humanitarian crisis is deepening at an alarming rate, with children facing the gravest threats, the United Nations warned today. Julien Harneis, United Nations Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Yemen, highlighted that over 21 million people — roughly half the population — will face acute food insecurity in the coming month, with tens of thousands potentially in famine-like conditions. “The simple narrative is, children are dying, and it’s going to get worse,” Harneis said. “My fear is that we won’t hear about it until the mortality and the morbidity significantly increase in this next year.”
The crisis is compounded by renewed political instability in southern Yemen. Forces affiliated with the Southern Transitional Council (STC), a separatist faction backed in part by the United Arab Emirates, attempted to expand into the resource-rich Hadramout and Al Mahra governorates. Government-aligned forces supported by Saudi Arabia reversed this expansion. Four weeks later, the STC issued a statement in Riyadh claiming it had dissolved the movement. Yet, demonstrations in Aden indicated that supporters on the ground did not recognise the dissolution. Harneis described the situation as “extraordinarily complicated,” noting that in Aden, control of government areas shifted within 48 hours, leaving both civilians and aid workers uncertain about who was in charge.
This political volatility overlays a decade-long war between Houthi-led forces, who control the capital Sana’a and northern regions, and the internationally recognised government in Aden, backed by the Saudi-led coalition. UN Special Envoy for Yemen, Hans Grundberg, told the Security Council last week that these latest political and security upheavals underscore how quickly stability could collapse without a credible and inclusive political process to end the war.
The humanitarian situation is catastrophic. Yemen’s health system is crumbling, with more than 450 medical facilities already closed and thousands more at risk due to funding cuts and insecurity. Vaccination programmes are under threat, leaving only about two-thirds of children fully immunised, largely because northern regions remain inaccessible. Harneis warned: “We’re going to see a major change where the health system is not going to be supported in the way it has been in the past.”
Adding to the distress, Houthi authorities, supported by Iran, continue to detain United Nations staff and other diplomatic personnel. Families of those detained have often gone five years without contact, unaware of the conditions of their detention or whether they face impending death sentences. Harneis described the situation for these families as “terrible.”
Despite severe constraints, UN partners reached 3.4 million people with food assistance in 2025 and provided emergency support during floods and disease outbreaks. However, ongoing access restrictions, insecurity, and funding shortfalls mean that millions remain at risk, and conditions are expected to deteriorate further in 2026. Harneis emphasised that economic and political decisions across the country are accelerating food insecurity: “The way that economic and political decisions are playing out…food insecurity is only getting worse across all parts of the country.”
The internationally recognised government has regained some control in the south following the STC’s collapse in key areas, but northern regions remain under Houthi control, maintaining a stark north-south divide. In parallel, Saudi Arabia pledged $500 million in development aid to southern Yemen to fund hospitals, schools, and critical infrastructure, highlighting shifting regional influence after the United Arab Emirates scaled back involvement.
The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs has urged the Security Council to prioritise Yemen, especially children and families facing chronic food insecurity, displacement, and collapsing health and education services. The UN has maintained operations in Yemen since the 1960s, aiming to advance development and protect civilians, but Harneis warned that the recent breakdowns have placed a “terrifying effect on the humanitarian workers.”
Experts also note that famine-like conditions could affect tens of thousands, with hundreds of thousands at risk in government-controlled areas. The UN continues to warn that unless the conflict is resolved through inclusive political negotiations, the combined effects of war, disease outbreaks, economic collapse, and aid restrictions will continue to devastate Yemen’s civilian population in 2026.
Harneis stressed that addressing the crisis requires both immediate humanitarian interventions and a credible political settlement to stabilise governance, secure civilians, and ensure that aid reaches those in need. Without such action, Yemen risks experiencing one of the world’s most acute humanitarian catastrophes in modern history.
– global bihari bureau
