The aid suspension in Yemen has brought a new level of suffering for civilians, prompting the Houthi group to call for the resumption of aid distribution to needy families.
Secretary-General of the Houthi Supreme Council for the Management and Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs and International Cooperation, Ibrahim Al-Hamli, called on the United Nations to resume providing food aid in Yemen to curb the slide into "dangerous stages" of famine.
During a meeting with U.N. Resident Coordinator in Sanaa Julian Harneis yesterday, Al-Hamli said, "The human suffering that the Yemeni people have been experiencing for nine years, especially in terms of livelihood, has become even worse after the decision to stop aid."
He added, "Aid suspension exacerbated human suffering and led to a high rate of food insecurity and cases of malnutrition among displaced people, especially children."
Murad Ahmed, a resident of Sanaa, told Sheba Intelligence that he used to receive regular humanitarian aid every three months. However, since the second half of 2023, he received only once.
He added, "We have felt the impact of the Red Sea escalations. We are the victims. The authorities in Sanaa do not care about the humanitarian or economic consequences."
In December, the World Food Programme (WFP) said it suspended food distribution in Houthi-controlled areas of northern Yemen because of a shortage of funding and disagreements with the group over how to focus on the poorest there.
At the time, the WFP indicated that its negotiations with the Houthis on reducing the number of people in need of aid to 6.5 million from 9.5 million failed.
However, the Houthi group has accused the United States of being behind the suspension of humanitarian aid in Yemen. It said Washington sought to pressure Yemen to stop Houthi missile attacks on Israeli-linked ships in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden.
Since November last year, Houthis have been attacking shipping lanes in the Red Sea, the Arabian Sea, and the Gulf of Aden, displaying support for Palestinians in Gaza, where Israel has killed at least 330000 people over the last six months.
On January 12, U.S.-UK airstrikes began hitting Houthi sites in North Yemen, complicating the delivery of aid to low-income families in several provinces.
The Houthi group reacted angrily to the U.S. airstrikes on Yemen. The group ordered in late January all U.S. and British staff of the United Nations and its agencies to leave the country within a month.
The Houthi group reacted angrily to the U.S. airstrikes on Yemen. The group ordered on January 20 all U.S. and British staff of the United Nations and its agencies to leave the country within a month.
Aid agencies began suspending vital operations. A coalition of 23 aid organizations issued a joint statement in mid-January, warning that military escalation will further compromise their ability to deliver critical services while worsening living conditions for millions of people in Yemen.
The organizations said in a joint statement at the time that the impact of the Red Sea's security threat is "already being felt by humanitarian actors as disruption to trade is pushing up prices and causing delays in shipments of lifesaving goods".
