UN Warns Yemen Faces Deepening Crisis Without Peace Talks

People in Aslam district in western Yemen collect food at a UN food distribution point.

Yemen continues to face a dire humanitarian crisis, driven by acute hunger, economic collapse, and regional instability, senior UN officials told the Security Council on Wednesday.

For over a decade, Yemen has endured conflict between Houthi rebels and government forces. Millions of lives and livelihoods remain at risk, with no sign of resolution in sight.

“The appetite for a military escalation remains,” said Hans Grundberg, UN Special Envoy for Yemen.

While violence remains an immediate threat, he noted that the economy has now become the “most active frontline” of the conflict. With the national currency in free fall and purchasing power rapidly declining, poverty is a daily reality.

“The little money people do have in their pockets is either falling in value or literally falling apart,” he said.

Currently, 17 million people face food insecurity—a number that could rise to 18 million by September without swift and expanded humanitarian aid. Over one million children under the age of five are suffering from life-threatening malnutrition, putting them at risk of permanent physical and cognitive harm.

“We haven’t seen this level of deprivation since before the UN-brokered truce in early 2022,” said Tom Fletcher, UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs.

Broader instability in the Middle East has further worsened Yemen’s situation. Mr Grundberg pointed to recent attacks by Ansar Allah (as the Houthi rebels are formally known) on commercial ships in the Red Sea, and retaliatory Israeli strikes on key Yemeni infrastructure, including ports and a power station.

“Yemen must not be drawn deeper into the regional crisis that threatens to unravel the already extremely fragile situation in the country. The stakes for Yemen are simply too high,” he said.

Nevertheless, he noted that the ceasefire between Iran and Israel sparked hope that momentum for negotiations in Yemen might resume.

Still, he stressed that Yemen’s peace process must not solely depend on regional dynamics.

“Yemen must advance regardless, moving from simply managing shocks and volatility to developing practical steps that lay the groundwork for lasting solutions,” he said.

Without meaningful peace negotiations, Yemen’s humanitarian crisis will only worsen, Mr Grundberg warned.

“A military solution remains a dangerous path that risks deepening Yemen’s suffering,” he said.

He highlighted recent progress in the Taiz governorate, where both parties agreed to jointly manage water supplies—a move that will provide safe drinking water to over 600,000 people. This agreement also promotes sustainable water access and reduces reliance on humanitarian aid.

“While negotiations may not be easy, they offer the best hope for addressing, in a sustainable and long-term manner, the complexity of the conflict,” Mr Grundberg said.

Call for International Support

Mr Grundberg urged the Security Council to continue prioritising Yemen. He reiterated UN calls for the release of all detained humanitarian workers, including UN staff, and appealed to donors to ensure sufficient funding for aid organisations operating on the ground.

“Yemen’s future depends on our collective resolve to shield it from further suffering and to give its people the hope and dignity they so deeply deserve,” he said.