Taiz – Human rights defenders and humanitarian activists have accused community committees in Yemen’s Taiz governorate of involvement in what they described as a “humanitarian crime,” after allegedly excluding thousands of eligible families from food assistance provided by the World Food Programme (WFP).

According to activists, some committees reportedly inserted the names of relatives, acquaintances, property owners, traders, and well-off individuals into beneficiary lists, while removing the names of poor families, people with disabilities, and those in dire need.

They noted that the committees exploited the recent re-survey process to manipulate registrations, depriving thousands of impoverished households including families suffering from chronic illnesses and disabilities of essential food support.

The accusations come at a time when several Yemeni governorates, including Taiz, are experiencing significant reductions in WFP aid, further exacerbating the humanitarian crisis.