After a decade of a devastating conflict, Yemen continues to face one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises.
Aid workers described to Amnesty International how President Donald Trump’s decision to cut US aid funding has led to the shut-down of lifesaving assistance and protection services, including malnutrition treatment to children, pregnant and breastfeeding mothers, safe shelters to survivors of gender-based violence, and healthcare to children suffering from cholera and other illnesses.
“The abrupt and irresponsible cuts in US aid will have catastrophic consequences on Yemen’s most vulnerable and marginalized groups, including women and girls, children, and internally displaced people, jeopardizing their safety, dignity, and fundamental human rights,” said Diala Haidar, Amnesty International’s Yemen Researcher.
“Unless the US immediately reinstates sufficient funding for lifesaving aid to Yemen and ensures the money is disbursed expeditiously, an already devastating humanitarian situation will further deteriorate and millions of people in Yemen are going to be left without desperately needed support.
“Other donor states must also act urgently to uphold their human rights obligations by providing humanitarian assistance and supporting human rights in Yemen.”
After years of conflict and compounding crises, an estimated 19.5 million people, over half the population, are dependent on aid in Yemen. Yemen has the fifth-largest displacement crisis globally, with an estimated 4.8 million internally displaced people, most of whom are women and children, according to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). Over the last five years, during both President Trump’s first term and President Biden’s, the US has consistently been Yemen’s largest donor, providing $768 million dollars’ worth of support in 2024, comprising half of Yemen’s coordinated humanitarian response plan.
Amnesty International interviewed 10 humanitarian experts and aid workers with direct knowledge of the situation on the ground and six representatives of local human rights organizations, five of which provide direct services to vulnerable groups, all of whom said the impact of the cuts will be devastating, leading to suffering, death and more instability for an already fragile country. All of those interviewed requested to remain anonymous.
The manner in which the US State Department designated the Huthis a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) has further compounded the humanitarian situation. The difficulty for aid organizations to certify compliance with the designation in the complex humanitarian environment in northern Yemen forced several international humanitarian organizations to suspend operations in Huthi-controlled territories. The designation created significant confusion and concern, aid workers told Amnesty International.
“Hungry, displaced, and exhausted by violence, people in Yemen already lived in one of the most dire humanitarian crises in the world. The military escalation in Yemen, along with the US aid cuts, will compound the humanitarian disaster already facing a population still reeling from the long-standing conflict. it doesn’t have to be this way—the US should restart funding to these programmes immediately,” said Diala Haidar.