Yemen Humanitarian Crisis
When war tore through her home town of Taizz, Hadiya fled with nothing.
Now, she is camped out with her children and grandchildren in a wreck of a building many miles away—unable to return home and uncertain what the future might hold.
Photo: ©UNHCR/Shabia Mantoo
Nine years of conflict have forced 4.5 million people to flee their homes 21.6 million people are in dire need of humanitarian assistance and protection services. Please help us reach these families with life-saving aid.
Shelter kits
Essential items
Emergency cash grants
What’s happening in Yemen?
The situation in Yemen remains one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises. Nine years of war have driven more than 4.5 million people from their homes and 21.6 million are in dire need of humanitarian assistance and protection services. Since violence erupted in late March 2015, Yemen, already one of the most impoverished countries in the Middle East, has experienced a dramatic economic downturn, with its economy shrinking by 50%. As a result, over 80% of the population now lives in poverty. The ongoing conflict and economic collapse have severely impacted public services, which were already limited. Only 50% of healthcare facilities and 65% of schools remain operational, leaving over 2 million children without access to education. Nearly 90% of the population lacks access to public electricity.
Displaced people in Yemen confront challenges stemming from both conflict and climate change, with climate-related factors being the main cause of forced displacement in 2024. Yemen hosts around 99,877 refugees and asylum seekers, the majority of whom live in unsuitable accommodation without access to water in the overcrowded and impoverished neighbourhoods
UNHCR is actively working on the ground to provide shelter, essential supplies, and healthcare to those in need. Public support remains critical to help us reach more people and save lives.
Why are people starving in Yemen?
Yemen has long been one of the Middle East’s poorest nations. Years of war and strict blockades that limit the flow of food and aid have driven the country to the brink of collapse. Millions of families now face starvation as they struggle to survive in this dire situation. Hunger has reached unprecedented levels, with global conflicts driving up the cost of wheat and grains, compounding the crisis. Despite ongoing humanitarian aid, 17.3 million Yemenis endure acute food insecurity, and six million are teetering on the brink of famine.
Where in the country is UNHCR working?
We have teams on the ground across Yemen, reaching vulnerable families in all 20 governorates affected by the conflict. We are helping displaced Yemenis, as well as refugees who flee into Yemen, to escape neighbouring conflicts.
Where can I access the latest data and reports?
Yemen Operations—UNHCR’s relief work to protect displaced people inside Yemen.
What kind of relief is UNHCR providing?
UNHCR is providing life-saving aid to displaced Yemenis, as well as to refugees and asylum-seekers, across the country, employing a criteria-based approach that targets districts with the highest levels of need and vulnerability, ensuring that assistance reaches those most in need.
We’re providing families with emergency shelter, special kits to help them repair bomb damage and cash assistance to help them access food and medicine. In addition, we’re supplying mattresses, blankets, sleeping mats, kitchen sets, buckets and more to those who’ve lost everything in the war.
Our shelter kits help families repair homes damaged in the conflict, and we refurbish public buildings and settlements that now host displaced families. We support health facilities that serve refugees, asylum-seekers and Yemenis affected by violence, and we work to prevent and control the spread of cholera, which has arisen as a result of the conflict.
Additionally, UNHCR is prioritizing protection, including enhancing protection monitoring, providing vital legal assistance, and facilitating documentation support to ensure access to essential rights such as education, health, and housing. UNHCR also prioritises durable solutions, with efforts to promote self-reliance, inclusion, and area-based interventions, including support for livelihood initiatives and infrastructure rehabilitation.
How can I help people in Yemen?
The easiest way to give is through our secure online donation form. You can give monthly or one-time on behalf of an individual or a corporation. Your donation will help refugees and internally displaced people who need it most – our donors make our work possible. All contributions to the UNHCR are 100% tax-deductible.
Did you know that Yemen is also sheltering over 270,000 refugees from neighbouring conflicts?
After their father was killed in fighting, Muna and Sakina fled with their remaining family.
Now they’re living in the Dharwan settlement outside Yemen’s capital, Sana’a, where conditions are basic and overcrowded.
Thanks to UNHCR and our donors, the family has been provided with emergency shelter and other essential items, so they can survive through the months ahead.
Photo: ©UNHCR/Mohammed Hamoud
Donate Today
Please help refugee families and internally displaced people in Yemen.
Donate Today
Please help refugee families and internally displaced people in Yemen.