Humanitarian crisis in Yemen


The ongoing civil war in Yemen, which started in 2015, has caused the world's worst humanitarian crisis to date: four out of five Yemeni can’t survive without outside aid, and 17 million people are on the brink of starvation.  

THE SCALE OF THE CRISIS: KEY FIGURES

A humanitarian catastrophe stemming from a devastating conflict. 
22.3 million
Yemenis depend on humanitarian aid to survive
2/3
Yemenis do not have the means to buy food
17 million
Yemenis are on the brink of starvation
5.2 millions
people are internally displaced
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A fragile country brought to its knees by war  

Conflict in Yemen, one of the poorest countries in the Middle East, has severely worsened the state of this fragile country. 

Since fighting intensified in the south of the country in September 2026, tens of thousands of people have been forced to flee their homes. Several thousand of them have undertaken the perilous journey to Djibouti in search of safety.

More than 23 million people, men, women, children, the elderly and disabled people, are desperately looking for safety, shelter, and assistance, and are struggling to survive every day. 

Fleeing as means of survival 

High-levels of insecurity in Yemen have caused massive displacement, putting the displaced at risk.  

More than 2 million people are currently struggling to survive far from home, with no way to fulfil their basic needs. The conditions they live in are harrowing.   

The situation is so dire that one million displaced Yemenis have given up hope and are trying to return home, although their safety is in no way guaranteed. 

I had a good life in Hudaydah. My husband had a job, my son went to school, we had our own house. Then the war broke out, and my husband lost his job; we lived in fear, so we took our son out of school and we left. We lost everything.

Assia, 40, and her son Mohammed, 19, are sitting in one of the rooms they occupy in an unfinished building in Mukalla, Hadramaut, Yemen.   

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UNHCR’s response 

UNHCR implements protection, shelter and non-food item projects. UNHCR provides emergency shelter and distributes essential items to everyone living in the 20 conflict-affected governorates. In 2025, UNHCR provided direct humanitarian assistance to 127,800 Yemenis.   

UNHCR also support health facilities, which have been severely weakened by the effects of war. More than one million cases of cholera have been reported in the country since 2018, 25% being children.

There are over 60,000 refugees and asylum seekers from other countries who have stayed in Yemen despite the conflict. They are particularly at risk, and UNHCR continues providing them with protection and assistance.   

We need your support 

The conflict in Yemen has no end in sight, and with the level of humanitarian needs, the situation will only get worse.  

Lack of funding – less than 25% of the requested amount was raised – is limiting UNHCR’s capacity and we are unable to respond to the Yemeni population’s overwhelming needs.  

We need your financial support more than ever if we want to continue providing emergency aid to the people in Yemen. 

More information about the crisis in Yemen: