More than 30 international and local humanitarian organizations have issued an urgent warning about the deepening crisis in Yemen, which now faces the third largest food emergency in the world. 

The joint appeal highlights the growing risk of famine and calls for immediate global action to prevent further deterioration.

According to the latest humanitarian update from the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), over 18 million Yemenis are experiencing acute hunger, with nearly half the population in southern regions struggling to secure daily meals. 

The situation is compounded by years of conflict, economic collapse, and restricted access to aid, leaving millions on the brink of starvation.

The coalition of aid groups—including UN agencies, international NGOs, and Yemeni civil society organizations—stressed that chronic malnutrition affects nearly half of all children under five, posing long-term threats to public health and development. 

They also warned that funding shortfalls and bureaucratic obstacles are hampering relief efforts, urging donors and authorities to prioritize humanitarian access and support.

In a statement marking World Food Day, the organizations emphasized that Yemen’s crisis is not only a humanitarian emergency but a moral test for the international community. 

They called for renewed diplomatic engagement, increased funding, and unimpeded delivery of aid to reach vulnerable populations before conditions worsen further.

Yemen’s prolonged conflict between government forces and Houthi rebels has devastated infrastructure and livelihoods, leaving the country trapped in a cycle of displacement, disease, and hunger. 

With global attention shifting to other crises, aid groups fear Yemen may be forgotten—despite the scale and urgency of its suffering.