International Analysis Warns of Widespread Food Insecurity in Yemen Through Early 2027

Washington — A new assessment by the Famine Early Warning Systems Network (FEWS NET) projects that Yemen’s acute food insecurity crisis will remain widespread across the country until at least January 2027.

The report states: “High levels of both the scale and severity of acute food insecurity are expected nationwide throughout the period from June 2026 to January 2027.”

According to the analysis, poor households across Yemen are likely to face mounting pressure on both food and income sources due to declining labor demand, conflict-driven livelihood disruptions, political instability, macroeconomic deterioration, below-average rainfall, and above-normal temperatures.

FEWS NET estimates that the number of people requiring food assistance will peak at 15–16 million during the lean season between July and September 2026, when labor demand remains below average and seasonal agricultural opportunities diminish in lowland areas.

Most regions are expected to remain at Crisis-level food insecurity (IPC Phase 3) or worse. 

Emergency-level conditions (IPC Phase 4) are projected to persist in three Houthi-controlled governorates  Hodeidah, Hajjah, and Taiz  with new pockets likely to emerge elsewhere. 

In government-held areas, the number of households facing IPC Phase 4 conditions is expected to rise, particularly along frontlines, among internally displaced families, and in female-headed households.

The analysis notes that while the number of households experiencing IPC Phase 4 may decline slightly in December and January with the start of the agricultural season, the persistence of core economic drivers of the crisis will continue to limit poor families’ access to basic food needs, leaving millions with significant consumption gaps.