Yemen remains one of the world’s most urgent humanitarian crises. Today, 19.5 million people – including around 15 million women and children – face the compounding effects of prolonged conflict, climate shocks, disease outbreaks and a deepening economic collapse. Without immediate and sustained assistance, conditions are expected to deteriorate further, pushing millions closer to famine.

An estimated 4.8 million people remain internally displaced across Yemen, many living in camps with limited access to basic services. While a 2022 truce led to a reduction in internal hostilities, the situation remains deeply fragile. Regional escalations, including cross-border strikes and large-scale cuts to humanitarian assistance, have heightened risks. This threatens to undo hard-won humanitarian gains achieved over recent years.

The World Food Programme’s (WFP) activities are essential to millions across Yemen. Support includes emergency food assistance for families affected by conflict, fortified snacks to encourage school attendance, targeted nutrition support for malnourished children and mothers, and long-term solutions that build resilience through asset creation and livelihood initiatives.

WFP calls for urgent and sustained international support to address the high levels of food insecurity and malnutrition in Yemen. By providing families with reliable food and nutrition assistance, WFP can help stabilize communities and prevent famine.

What the World Food Programme is doing in Yemen

Food assistance
WFP provides emergency food assistance to vulnerable families across Yemen, helping them meet their basic needs amid widespread food insecurity. In areas where access permits, WFP distributes food rations every 45 days, prioritising communities facing the highest levels of food insecurity.
Cash
WFP provides cash assistance in southern Yemen in areas where markets are stable enough to provide for communities' basic food needs. The amount of cash assistance a family receives is based on the number of household members. Cash assistance injects much-needed liquidity into the economy and allows families to buy the items they need the most.
Nutrition
WFP provides specialized nutritious food to young children and pregnant and breastfeeding women suffering from moderate acute malnutrition. We also strengthen the capacity of Ministry of Public Health and Population staff working at local health centres, as well as community health volunteers. This enables them to identify malnutrition cases and educate community members on better health and nutrition practices.
School meals
Under the school meals programme, WFP provides primary-school children with fortified biscuits each day they attend school. WFP also runs a Healthy Kitchen project that provides locally sourced and freshly prepared school meals with fruits and vegetables, aiming to give children the nutrients they need and help them form healthy eating habits.
Logistics
WFP is the logistical backbone of humanitarian operations in Yemen. We transport humanitarian workers through our United Nations Humanitarian Air Service, and move supplies such as fuel for other humanitarian organizations through the Logistics Cluster. Additionally, WFP, through our Emergency Telecommunications Cluster, helps keep humanitarian workers connected by providing essential telecommunications services in areas that would otherwise have very poor or no connection.

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Partners and donors

Achieving Zero Hunger is the work of many. Our work in Yemen is made possible by the support and collaboration of our partners and donors, including:
Australia Austria Belgium Bulgaria Canada

Operations in Yemen

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Contacts

Office

Diplomatic Area, Nowakshot Street, House No. 22 P.O. Box 7181 Sana'a - Republic of Yemen
Sana'a
Yemen

Phone
+967 1 214 100
Fax
+967 1 205 515
Email
WFP.Sanaa@wfp.org
For media inquiries
WFP.Sanaa@wfp.org
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