More than 18 million people in Yemen are hungry, UN tells Security Council

On 13 July, Indrika Ratwatte, the UN’s acting Assistant Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, told the Security Council that more than 18 million people across Yemen are hungry, and that food insecurity is approaching catastrophic levels (United Nations).

He said that over the past year 450 health facilities, including 76 hospitals, had closed because of a lack of resources. He also described an unprecedented fall in humanitarian funding and the expected impact of El Niño on food production and livelihoods (United Nations).

Coping mechanisms have simply been exhausted.

Indrika Ratwatte, UN acting Assistant Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, 13 July 2026

Key figures

• More than 18 million people across Yemen are hungry (UN)
• 450 health facilities, including 76 hospitals, closed in the past year for lack of resources (UN)

Sources

• United Nations: Security Council, 10193rd meeting: the situation in the Middle East (Yemen) (13 July 2026)

Photo: irwan zahuri / Pexels · Tarim, Hadhramaut, Yemen