Yemen continues to be one of the world’s most food-insecure countries following over 12 years of war between the Saudi-backed coalition supporting the internationally recognised Government and Ansar Allah – as the rebels are officially known – with 17 million going hungry, according to UN aid coordination office, OCHA.
Despite a fragile but long-lasting ceasefire, regional turmoil continues to erode prospects for peace and stability. Without a political solution, “current cycles of violence – local and regional – along with economic devolution and endemic humanitarian need, will persist,” Ramesh Rajasingham, Director of OCHA’s Coordination Division, told ambassadors.
However, hopes for a lasting peace deal remain: “Reaching a sustainable solution to the situation in Yemen is not only possible, it is essential,” said Special Envoy Grundberg.
Concerning developments
Although frontlines have barely shifted, July saw the Houthi’s fortify their positions, including around Hudaydah City, and launch a significant assault on Government forces in Sa’adah Governorate – developments Mr. Grundberg told the Security Council were “concerning.”
Since October 2023, the Houthis have been targeting Israel as well as commercial ships in the Red Sea, in solidarity with the Palestinian cause in Gaza.
In the past month, the Houthis have continued missile exchanges with Israel, further destabilising Yemen and commerce in the region.
“For Yemen to have a real chance for peace, it must be protected from being further drawn into the ongoing regional turmoil emanating out of the war in Gaza,” Mr. Grundberg said, calling for and end to Houthi strikes against civilian ships in the Red Sea.
In the conflict at home, “the parties need to take actions that build trust and good faith,” he said, as the UN aims to establish a path for further talks.
“Unfortunately, we have seen the opposite in the last month with unilateral and escalatory decisions that risk deepening divisions within institutions and state structures,” said Mr. Grundberg.
Food insecurity
In some parts of Yemen, hunger and malnutrition are extreme – especially in areas of displacement. A needs-assessment mission in July found children from displaced families dying from starvation in such a camp in the Abs District of Hajjah Governorate.
“These are children who have died not from war wounds, but from hunger – slow, silent, and preventable,” Mr. Rajasingham said.
Half of Yemen’s under fives are suffering from acute malnutrition, and nearly half overall from stunting, leaving them much more vulnerable to dying from common illnesses.
Where healthcare is desperately inadequate and support services are unavailable to many, “this is a life-or-death gamble for children,” he said.
Mr. Rajasingham called for increased funding to scale up emergency food and nutrition support across the country, as humanitarian organizations remain on the ground, despite limited resources and operational challenges.
Path forward
Meanwhile, the Office of the Special Envoy for Yemen continues to work towards de-escalation along the frontlines.
In order to establish a path for talks, “it is essential that measures that build trust and improve the day to day lives of Yemenis continue,” Mr. Grundberg said.
“I urge dialogue between the parties, which is the only way to bring about long-term sustainable solutions on all matters,” he said.
