Yemen's humanitarian crisis deepens as the World Food Programme (WFP) suspends malnutrition prevention activities in areas controlled by the Ansar Allah group, also known as the Houthis, due to severe funding shortages, leaving over 426,000 people – mostly children, pregnant women and breastfeeding mothers – without critical support. 

Samir Mohammed Othman, one of those affected, sold all his possessions to treat his malnourished child, highlighting the desperate choices families face. The UN reports that 19.5 million Yemenis, including 15 million women and children, need humanitarian aid in 2025, with 17.1 million facing food insecurity. WFP's July 2025 Situation Report notes 66 percent of households cannot meet minimum food needs, with 39 percent experiencing severe food deprivation. "The fact that more people in Yemen don't know where their next meal will come from is extremely concerning amid unprecedented funding challenges," said Siemon Hollema, WFP deputy country director, on June 22, 2025. 

In southern Yemen, 4.95 million people face crisis-level food insecurity (IPC Phase 3+), with 1.5 million in emergency conditions (IPC Phase 4). This video captures Samir's struggle and the UN's urgent call for funding to restore life-saving aid and prevent famine in Yemen's fragile landscape.