Officials and experts are raising alarms about the escalating hunger crisis in Yemen, driven by the Houthi group’s crimes and violations against the Yemeni people, leading to a looming humanitarian disaster amid food insecurity.
A World Bank report highlights the rise in the number of hungry people in Yemen from 6 million to 17 million since the Houthi coup, signaling a significant catastrophe.
Fahmi Al-Zubairi, the Human Rights Office Director in Sana’a, emphasizes the alarming increase in hunger and poverty in Yemen since the Houthi takeover of state institutions in 2014.
The Houthis are accused of using starvation as a weapon of war, blocking humanitarian aid, restricting movement, and imposing a severe blockade on Taiz for nine years.
International reports indicate that 21 million Yemenis require urgent and emergency aid, amidst ongoing Houthi violations and systematic looting of properties to control the population and forcibly involve them in their projects, contradicting the constitution and laws.
Nabil Abdul Hafiz, Deputy Minister of Human Rights in Yemen, states that the war has significantly affected the rise in hunger and poverty rates, with over 80% of the population living below the poverty line.
The Houthis have deliberately cut off salaries in their controlled areas, affecting nearly 50% of Yemen’s population, exacerbating poverty and famine.
Abdul Hafiz highlights the Houthis’ looting of funds from the Central Bank in Sana’a, weakening the economic situation and leading to increased forced migration, with 4.5 million people displaced.
These violations and crimes by the Houthis have led to deliberate impoverishment and starvation, plunging nearly half of Yemen’s population into extreme poverty and famine.
He warns of the dangers posed by the Houthi-induced crisis, especially since only about 30% of international aid reaches the intended recipients in Yemen.
Abdul Hafiz calls for an international and governmental strategy to ensure aid reaches those in need and to work earnestly to alleviate the crisis.
