Inside Yemen’s Food Crisis

For millions of people in Yemen, getting enough food has been a daily struggle for nearly a decade. 

Today, almost half of the country’s population is facing severe hunger. Around five million people are experiencing crisis levels of food insecurity, while another 1.4 million are facing emergency levels of hunger, with those numbers expected to rise throughout 2026. 

Years of conflict, a struggling economy, and increasingly severe droughts have combined to create one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises. Families have been forced from their homes; food prices have soared; and many people can no longer afford enough to eat.  

Recent cuts to global aid have made the situation even more difficult. More than 2,800 nutrition and treatment programs have closed over the past year, leaving millions of children and families with fewer places to get the support they need. With only a fraction of the funding required for food and nutrition programs available, many children are at greater risk of malnutrition. 

Why water matters in the fight against hunger 

When people think about hunger, they often think only about food. But access to safe water is just as important. 

Without clean water, families can’t safely cook or drink. Children are more likely to become sick from waterborne diseases such as diarrhea, which makes it harder for their bodies to absorb the nutrients they do eat. Time spent collecting water also means less time in school, at work or caring for children, especially if water must be collected at certain times to limit safety risks. 

That is why Save the Children has been working to restore access to safe water in communities affected by conflict. 

Save the Children has worked in Yemen since 1963, making us the first international non-governmental organization to operate in the country. Over the years, our work has expanded to support children and families through health, nutrition, education, and emergency response programs. 

Most recently, with the generous support of the Government of Canada, we helped rehabilitate a solar-powered water treatment plant and nearby health unit in Taiz – located in the southwest of the country, near the Red Sea. 

The treatment plant had originally been built in the 1990s, but years of conflict and damage left it no longer able to provide reliable water. Families, schools and the local health centre were left without a dependable supply, forcing people to travel long distances just to collect enough water for basic daily needs. 

“Women were forced… to fetch water from distant areas, covering distances of approximately two to three kilometres while carrying around 20 litres per trip, which was still not enough to meet their needs,” says Hamed*, a community member. 

“There was also a health centre and a school that did not receive water and had no water available for use.” 

Today, the situation looks very different. 

Following the rehabilitation of the treatment plant, more than 6,000 people, including families living in a nearby camp for internally displaced people, now have regular access to safe, clean water closer to home. 

“Water is now reaching homes and distribution points close to residential areas,” Hamed says. “It has also reduced the risks previously faced by women and children while collecting water and limited the spread of diseases caused by contaminated water, as the water is now safe for drinking.” 

Reliable access to clean water means children are less likely to become sick; families spend less time collecting water; and health centres and schools can operate more effectively. It also helps communities become more resilient as they work to recover from years of conflict. 

While projects like this are changing lives, millions of children and families across Yemen still don’t have enough food or safe water.  

With continued support, more communities can access the basics they need to stay healthy today and build a better future for tomorrow.