Nearly half of the population (4.7 million people) in the Government of Yemen (GoY) controlled areas experienced high levels of acute food between July and September 2024, classified as IPC Phase 3 or above (Crisis or worse). This included 1.2 million people who experienced critical levels of food insecurity – IPC Phase 4 (Emergency) – characterized by large food gaps and high levels of acute malnutrition. This reflects a continued, though slower, deterioration in the food security situation compared to the last IPC update (October 2023 – February 2024), when around 4.6 million people were classified in Phase 3 or above.

The declining economy, coupled with continued conflict and irregular humanitarian food assistance (HFA) continue to drive the high levels of acute food insecurity. In addition, torrential rains in August 2024 led to localized flooding that devasted homes, disrupted agricultural activities, resulted in loss of livestock and farmland and displaced an estimated 400,000 people – mainly in parts of Marib, Al Hodeidah, Taiz and Ad Dhali.

In the projection period (October 2024 – February 2025), the situation will improve marginally with 4.6 million people projected to be in Phase 3 or above. Of these, 1.1 million people are expected to face critical levels of food insecurity (Phase 4), and 3.5 million people are expected to face crisis levels of food insecurity, classified as IPC Phase 3 (Crisis).

While the number of districts classified in Phase 4 is estimated to decline by 50 percent, from 24 to 12 districts, the population in Phase 4 will remain unchanged. Overall, all 118 districts analysed will likely experience high levels of acute food insecurity (Phase 3 or above) during both the current and projection periods.

Urgent High-Level Advocacy and Resource Mobilization: Due to a critical funding gap and ongoing high food insecurity levels in the country, urgent high-level advocacy and resource mobilization efforts are needed to address the worsening food security situation among the most vulnerable populations classified in IPC Phase 3 and above. This will require implementing an enhanced Humanitarian Food Assistance (HFA) package at the necessary scale. 

Improved Targeting and Regular Humanitarian Food Assistance: To tackle severe food insecurity, it is crucial to enhance humanitarian food assistance by providing food rations with improved caloric values to those facing significant food consumption gaps. The Food Security and Agriculture Cluster (FSAC) recommends offering monthly HFA support that meets at least 80 percent (1,680 Kcal per person per day) of the Sphere standards recommended caloric requirements. Given resource constraints and pressing food needs, accelerating the completion of effective re-targeting and prioritization processes for HFA is essential to adequately support the most vulnerable households.

Scale Up Support and Livelihood Restoration: The Yemeni population faces significant livelihood challenges, including irregular salaries for civil servants, limited livelihood opportunities, rising food prices and agricultural input costs, and climate change hazards. These factors have led to increased adoption of harmful coping strategies among economically challenged and food-insecure households. Prioritizing investments tailored to each district’s specific livelihood profile is essential for livelihood support and restoration. Adopting a graduated response strategy, which includes delivering HFA and livelihood assistance, will not only meet immediate food needs but also promote local food production and empower households to purchase food from local markets.

Address Underlying Causes of Food Insecurity and Malnutrition: To address food insecurity at its root, tackling underlying issues such as poverty, inequality, access to clean water and sanitation (WASH), malnutrition, and climate change is crucial. This requires a holistic, evidence-based, and integrated approach, fostering collaboration across sectors through the humanitarian-development and peace nexus framework.