UN official for Al Jazeera Net: The humanitarian situation in Yemen is horrific and children are starving policy

Sanaa- An International official in the humanitarian response plan in Yemen for 2025 revealed only 15%, warning that the situation is “very shocking” and that assessments showed the death of children from hunger in Hajjah Governorate, northwest of the country.

In a special interview with Al -Jazeera Net, the director of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs “OCHA” in Yemen, Acting Mrs. Rosaria Bruno, said that the crisis is getting worse day by day; More than 19 million people need humanitarian aid to survive, and the number is expected to rise this year.

She stated that the reduction of financing forces relief agencies to suspend vital programs, leaving millions of people without the ability to obtain aid to the lives they need to survive.

According to Bruno, 18.1 million people are expected to suffer from acute food insecurity early in September, including 41,000 people who are likely to face famine (stage 5 of the integrated phased dietary security classification).

The UN official spoke to Al -Jazeera Net correspondent, about the developments, challenges and reality of the humanitarian situation. Here is the full dialogue:

• How do you evaluate the current humanitarian situation in Yemen at its various levels?

The Yemen crisis is still one of the largest humanitarian crises in the world, and it gets worse day by day.

In Yemen, more than 19 million people need humanitarian aid to survive. It is expected that the number will rise this year, with hunger, conflicts, climate shocks, economic deterioration, the collapse of services and a significant reduction in human financing, which creates the ideal conditions for increasing suffering.

The situation is very horrific, especially for the most vulnerable population groups in Yemen, including women, girls, displaced people and people with disabilities.

As for the numbers:

• 17.1 million people are currently facing acute food insecurity, and this number will rise to 18.1 million people from September to February.
• 6.2 million women and girls at risk of gender -based violence.
• 17 million people do not get enough water to cover their basic daily needs.
• 3.2 million children are not enrolled in schools.
• 38 % of health facilities work partially or not work.
• More than 19 million people need health help.

• What are your estimates for the situation of people with food insecurity?

Food insecurity has reached record levels in recent months, as in Yemen now has become the third largest hunger crisis in the world.

On behalf of the human community, the alarm of donors, member states and the international community -including the Security Council on August 12.

Our data is clear. It is expected that 18.1 million people will suffer from acute food insecurity early next month, including 41,000 people who are likely to face famine (stage 5 of the integrated phased dietary security classification).

Half of the children of Yemen under the age of five suffer from acute malnutrition, and almost half of them suffer from dwarf. One in four pregnant women-breastfeeding women suffers from wasting.

The prevalence of insufficient food consumption has reached record levels during the past months, as 67% of the population was unable to meet their basic food needs.

People are pushed to desperate measures to feed their families and make almost impossible options in this process; For example:

• Skip meals.
• And give up health care needs in order to pay for food.
• And sell basic assets such as livestock and shelter.

Therefore, you find approximately 4 out of every 5 families without savings for more acclimatization, and 44% use strict food adaptation strategies.

It is expected that gender -based violence, child labor and underage marriage will rise in the coming months.

Behind these numbers, real people -parents who may lose their children soon because of hunger, and families who do not have a place to resort to abandoning their access to food.

At the August 12, 2025 Security Council session this week, the United Nations Coordination Coordination Office told the 9 -month -old story of Ahmed in the Abs district of Hajjah Governorate, and it is now so merely so far that he cannot sit and weighs less than two -thirds of the healthy weight. He is one of the millions of young people in Yemen, who are overwhelmed by this crisis.

• What is the impact of a deficit in financing humanitarian needs on basic relief programs? What is its reflection on the most vulnerable groups like the displaced?

Yemen – like other crises in the world – faces major discounts in financing the humanitarian response. After more than two -thirds of 2025, the humanitarian appeal for Yemen was funded by only 15%.

These discounts in financing force relief agencies to suspend vital programs, leaving millions of people without the ability to obtain aid to the lives they need to survive.

In this context, the numbers show that:

• Half a million farm farms of small holders risk losing the main food sources and income, which increases dependence on harmful adaptation strategies.
• Ultimately 6 million people (in the 4th stage of the integrated dietary security class) may face more food insecurity starting in February 2026.
• Nearly two million people are already vulnerable to access to live protection services.
• 921,000 women and girl have already lost access to gender -based violence protection services.
• More than 450 health facilities were affected by lowering funding, and cannot provide full primary health care services.
• 2.2 million people are at risk of loss of support for clean water, health hygiene and sewage services.

• Are there certain sectors affected more than other lack of funding?

All sectors were affected by the reduction of financing, with sharp gaps, especially in food security and nutrition, water, sanitation and health hygiene, protection, shelter, and non -food items.

• How was the international community responding to your recent calls to overcome the financing crisis?

Many donors continued their support for the humanitarian response in Yemen or even slightly increased support, and we are grateful for this solidarity.

However, this is a miles away from the financing levels that we need to save lives on a large scale. There is no time to waste, every minute is important in the race to prevent further deterioration in the humanitarian situation. In one of the directorates of Hajjah Governorate, a recent evaluation of the needs found that children had died of hunger.

The humanitarian partners (the United Nations and international and local NGOs) have rapidly mobilized response interventions to address the situation in this region, but we expect to see more reports and more tragic deaths that could have been prevented if there was a rapid and large financing increase.

• Do you have alternative plans or new mechanisms that you depend on to alleviate the crisis with the decline in donors?

The human community in Yemen is making everything in its power to save the largest possible number of lives with our financing. As part of that, we have given priority in our efforts to focus on the most important interventions that save lives for those who need them.

This is a great challenge because it means that millions of people do not receive the help they need. But this is the bitter truth caused by the discounts in financing.

In examples on how to adapt humanitarian workers due to the discounts in financing:

Last month, food security partners launched a high priority response plan, while giving priority to urgent interventions in sites that are witnessing the highest levels of food insecurity and malnutrition. This plan targets 8.8 million people and requires $ 1.42 billion.

And because the plan focuses on the most affected areas, this means that 2.3 million people are facing extreme food insecurity will not receive help.

This is based on a priority plan for the broader humanitarian response, issued in May, at a request of $ 1.42 billion to provide the most urgent interventions to save lives to more than 10 million people.

We are working to accelerate the allocation of financing through the Human Finance Fund in Yemen, which directs donor financing for urgent interventions that save lives, especially through local partners.

The Humanitarian Coordination Office announced on August 12 that a new $ 20 million in the coming weeks will be allocated to support urgent interventions in the field of food security.

We still call for increasing financing sooner. We understand that there are many severe crises around the world, but the international community cannot abandon Yemen.

• In addition to the lack of funding, what are the most prominent challenges facing the “Ocha” teams and the partners in reaching the needy?

The financing gaps are the greatest challenge to the humanitarian response in Yemen, but it is not the only challenge. The humanitarian parties throughout the country are still dealing with other issues.

Dozens of employees from the United Nations, NGOs and civil society organizations are still being held by the de facto authorities. We are also still facing restrictions on the arrival of humanitarian aid, including active conflict, violent incidents against humanitarian workers, human assets, facilities, and administrative obstacles.

We are on the threshold of August 19, “International Humanitarian Day”, which is an occasion to honor relief workers who were killed or injured while performing their duty, calling for their protection and protecting the people who serve them.

Humanitarian workers should not be a target, in Yemen, Sudan, Gaza and anywhere in the world.