Today's Edition
AHMED SHAABAN, AHMED ATEF (CAIRO, ADEN)
Yemen is currently grappling with a severe humanitarian crisis following the World Food Programme’s (WPF) announcement of halting humanitarian aid distribution in areas under Houthi control.
Yemeni human rights activists have raised alarms about an impending humanitarian disaster due to this decision, attributed to limited funding and unsuccessful negotiations with the Houthi group for a scaled-down programme targeting the most vulnerable families.
The WPF disclosed that this tough decision came after almost a year of fruitless negotiations to decrease the number of direct food aid recipients from 9.5 to 6.5 million people.
Zafaran Zaid, Yemeni lawyer and human rights advocate, described the aid suspension in Houthi-controlled territories as an additional catastrophe. According to Zafaran, this move worsens the current economic collapse, exacerbated by Houthi transgressions, embezzlement of public and private funds, stifling of commerce, and obstacles to the work of relief personnel.
In her statement to Aletihad, Zafaran stressed that the WPF’s decision will deprive millions of Yemenis of essential assistance, leading to social system collapse and the complete loss of livelihoods, essentially denying people their basic right to life. She urged immediate action to establish effective, direct means of delivering aid.
Meanwhile, Nabil Abdulhafiz, Yemen’s Deputy Minister of Human Rights, also voiced his concerns about the cessation of aid in these regions. He pointed out that a mere 30% of food aid reaches its intended recipients due to Houthi intervention, yet even this small portion helps alleviate the crisis faced by Yemenis in these areas.
Abdulhafiz, in his statement to Aletihad, called for comprehensive coordination between legitimate government entities and international organisations. Such collaboration is vital for creating an efficient aid distribution system, he added.
In terms of delivering aid in Houthi-controlled areas, Abdulhafiz emphasised the urgent need for a real strategy for organisations to operate transparently and effectively. This approach would help understand and address the challenges, he explained, particularly given the international decision’s implications for the residents of these areas, many of whom are in extreme poverty and hunger.
Yemeni political analyst Mahmoud Al Taher, speaking to Aletihad, revealed that the Houthi group is using the suspension of aid as a means to punish the Yemeni people. They have been rejecting the justice sought by international humanitarian institutions, exploiting the aid for sale on the black market or using it to coerce families into recruiting their children.
Fares Al-Beel, another Yemeni political analyst, noted that the suspension of aid by the WPF highlights the Houthis’ non-cooperation in the distribution process. He asserted that their actions have aggravated poverty and the humanitarian crisis in Yemen by looting aid and hindering humanitarian efforts, ultimately leading to the decision to suspend aid.
The humanitarian situation in Yemen has deteriorated recently due to ongoing conflict, making international humanitarian aid essential for alleviating Yemeni’s hunger.
Just days ago, complaints emerged from Ibb Governorate residents regarding the Houthi group’s obstruction and prevention of food aid delivery by international humanitarian organisations. Local accusations have emerged that the Houthis seized aid meant for the poorest groups before the suspension decision and sold it for their benefit.
