Yemen crisis

Millions of people in Yemen are facing a severe humanitarian crisis, widespread hunger and chronic malnutrition.

Oxfam is providing emergency water and sanitation, and cash grants to some of the worst affected.

Donate to Yemen

Updates from Oxfam

The situation

More than 10 million people in Yemen - almost half the population - are suffering from a shortage of food. Millions of people have exhausted their ways of coping, and cannot afford to buy enough food for their families, leaving many close to breaking point.

Yemen's political crisis last year increased hunger in the country as food and fuel prices surged. According to the UN, malnutrition rates in some parts of the country are alarming, with one in three children severely malnourished.

Podcast: Report from Yemen

Meanwhile, in the north and south of the country, nearly 465,000 people remain displaced by conflict between government forces and tribal groups.

Blog: Back home - but nowhere to stay

While some reconstruction is being undertaken in Sa'ada, hundreds of thousands remain displaced and out of reach. Although some displaced people have returned home, many are prevented from doing so by ongoing insecurity and risks of unexploded land mines.

Oxfam has reached over 300,000 people so far, across several regions of the country, with a combination of essential water and sanitation services and cash safety nets - both vital for sustaining health and livelihoods over this difficult time.

You can help: donate now

Video: Coping with Yemen's humanitarian crisis

Video: Yemen's hunger crisis

What Oxfam is doing to help

Oxfam is responding to rising hunger levels in Yemen. We are aiming to support 1 million people to meet their basic needs during the crisis.

We are giving cash grants to help people buy food and water to feed their families. In Al Hodeidah we have distributed cash transfers to people across 870 remote villages, and provided training on safe hygiene practices.

In the south, Oxfam has been responding to the needs of displaced people temporarily living in schools and camps in Aden. In Northern Yemen, where access is difficult to security, we have reached over 66,000 people through the provision of safe water, and the rehabilitation of water and sanitation facilities.

We are helping hundreds of families who have returned to their homes to rebuild their livelihoods, by providing people with goats and fodder. We are also equipping hundreds of people with basic entrepreneurial skills so they can begin new lives.

Blog: Getting back to work in northern Yemen

Yemen: Fragile lives in hungry times

Latest blogs about the Yemen crisis

10 Oct 2012

Efforts to end global hunger are “flat-lining”, warns Oxfam, as UN figures show 870 million are still going short of food each day

Rising food prices and increased frequency of humanitarian crises may entrench hunger long term The international aid agency, Oxfam, has warned that efforts to bring an end to global hunger are in danger of "flat-lining"... Read more

27 Sep 2012

Yemen: Rafiqa's story

Hundreds of thousands of people have been forced to flee their homes in Abyan, Yemen, in the last year because of ongoing conflict. I spoke to Rafiqa, who recently fled her village and sought refuge in an abandoned school where Oxfam is providing... Read more

27 Sep 2012

Hunger crisis threatens to derail Yemen's development and stability, aid agencies warn

Humanitarian response still severely under-funded despite billions promised The hunger crisis in Yemen, which affects almost one out of every two Yemeni citizens, and is putting nearly one million children at risk of severe malnutrition, must be addressed... Read more

More blogs about the Yemen crisis

Photo gallery: Yemen crisis

Photo 1/10 photo by: Nupur Kukrety

Oxfam is providing emergency support to some of those worst affected by rising levels of hunger across Yemen prompted by last year's political crisis which saw food and fuel prices soar at the same time as families' opportunities to earn an income have dramatically decreased.