At a time when 80% of Yemen's population lacks reliable access to adequate food and clean water, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) has developed a new emergency plan to strengthen and implement programs and strategies addressing food security priorities in a country experiencing one of the world's worst humanitarian crises since the Houthi-initiated war began more than a decade ago.
The UN plan found that the food security situation in Yemen remains critical, and malnutrition is widespread, with nearly half of all children under 5 years of age suffering from moderate to severe stunting.
Of the approximately 19.5 million people (60% of the population) in need of humanitarian assistance and protection, 17.1 million – about 50% of the population – face acute food insecurity, including 5 million at emergency levels.
Also, ongoing localized clashes in Taiz, Marib, Al Jawf, Lahj, Shabwa, Al Dali and Hodeidah governorates continue to impede access and disrupt food systems.
Additional factors, such as naval disruptions in the Red Sea, the banking crisis, sanctions and reduced humanitarian funding have exacerbated the situation, FAO said.
It noted that the new emergency plan aims to improve the productivity, diversity and quality of smallholder farming, as one of the key entrances to improving food in a country where the majority of the population rely directly or indirectly on agriculture for their livelihoods.
The Yemen Plan of Action for Emergency, Resilience and Development 2025–2027 presents a three-year strategic roadmap to enhance food security, nutrition and resilience among vulnerable populations (including women, children and lactating mothers, and internally displaced persons) in a holistic and environmentally sustainable manner.
The plan’s first pillar focuses on responding to emergencies and mitigating the impact of shocks in consideration of the fragility of food security in Yemen.
In this regard, FAO will provide high-quality food security analysis and forecasting to support evidence-based decision-making.
This, the UN agency said, will ensure that emergency and resilience programs by FAO and other Food Security and Agriculture Cluster (FSAC) partners are based on reliable data, well-targeted and aligned with household needs.
The plan’s second pillar aims to improve the productivity, diversity and quality of smallholder farming, livestock keeping and fishing at household level through climate-smart practices, sustainable use of water, soil, seeds and other natural resources, enhanced post-harvest management, and better nutrition and food consumption practices.
As for the third pillar, it focuses on accelerating long-term economic growth, driven by a robust agriculture sector.
FAO said that before the Houthi-coup, the agriculture sector accounted for 18 to 27% of Yemen’s gross domestic product, supplied roughly a quarter to a third of the country’s annual food needs and provided employment for over half of the population.
It noted that the sector now faces multiple challenges: Water scarcity, worsened by climatic shocks and inefficient irrigation methods, is a major constraint and aggravates land degradation and reduced soil fertility.
The UN agency said its Plan of Action 2025–2027 requires a total investment of $260.2 million to improve the food security, nutrition and resilience of 1.34 million vulnerable households, representing approximately 9.38 million people.
