RI: Protecting Yemen's Children from Famine

Ongoing violence against Yemen’s main port city of Hodeidah threatens to plunge the country into famine. A lifeline for aid, the port of Hodeidah is the entry point for at least 70 percent of all humanitarian assistance into Yemen. As military offensives continue to pummel the port, international aid agencies warn that 20 million Yemenis – more than two-thirds of the country’s population –are at risk of losing the humanitarian aid they have come to rely on to survive.

As the situation on the ground deteriorates, RI teams are working to stave off intense, famine-like conditions by delivering critical assistance to the country’s most vulnerable residents. Soaring food prices coupled with a tumbling economy too often prevents families from purchasing nutritious foods like vegetables, fruit, dairy, or meat products. Instead, skipping meals to conserve limited food rations has become a commonplace, yet heartbreaking, reality for millions of Yemenis.

We’re working alongside our partners to provide critical food assistance and nutritional support to families in need. Through our general food voucher distribution program, we’ve provided more than 7,000 families each month with vouchers, which they can redeem at local vendors for oil, flour, lentils, sugar, and other life-saving staples. We’ve also upgraded our level of support from 5Kgs to 10Kgs to prevent families from having to self-ration. Our mobile health clinics continue to treat acute and severe cases of malnutrition, helping to restore more than 108,000 children’s health through supplementary feeding programs.

As the conflict converges around Hodeidah, hunger in Yemen is expected to skyrocket to unprecedented levels. If there is any disruption to the aid pipeline, millions of lives will be forced closer to the brink of starvation, and even death. Our teams are monitoring the fragile situation in Hodeidah closely and have already begun delivering assistance to displaced families fleeing the city.

Together, with your generous support, we can help to deliver emergency rations of food, water, medicine, and other necessities to vulnerable Yemeni families, helping them to survive this latest assault with the dignity and support they deserve.