International Network: Yemen will remain at the forefront of countries most in need of humanitarian aid by next February

An international network expected that Yemen will continue to be at the forefront of countries most in need of aid around the world by next February, with the number of people in need of humanitarian aid in the country rising to 19 million people.

“It will remain the top country among the 31 countries covered by the network in terms of the average number of people in need of humanitarian food assistance by February 2025, followed by Sudan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo , Nigeria and Ethiopia,” the Famine Early Warning Systems Network (FEWS NET) said in its August 2024 analysis of projected emergency food assistance needs in the countries covered by the network.

She added, "The number of Yemenis who will continue to be in dire need of urgent food assistance is expected to rise from 18 to about 19 million people in February 2025," representing about 55% of the population.

The analysis indicated that due to the continued deterioration of poor economic conditions and the decline in income-earning opportunities, the state of severe food insecurity at the crisis level ( IPC Phase 3 ) will remain widespread in most Yemeni governorates.

The international network revealed that the governorates under Houthi control in the north of the country, as a result of the continued suspension of food aid distribution, the results of the state of acute food insecurity at the emergency level ( IPC Phase 4) will continue until next February.

She added: "If the World Food Program ( WFP ) resumes distributing food aid in Houthi areas, the severity of food insecurity in these areas could decline to the level of the third phase of the classification."