Abstract

Over a decade into Yemen’s civil war, the country remains one of the world’s most severe food security crises, despite receiving over USD 10 billion in humanitarian and development assistance since 2015. This paper investigates the paradox of massive aid and minimal impact, analyzing why international and regional support has failed to produce measurable food security gains. Using a qualitative synthesis of official data from the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC), World Food Programme (WFP), FEWS NET, World Bank, and the Saudi Aid Platform, the study identifies structural causes underlying persistent hunger: fragmented governance, weak coordination, outdated data systems, and an overreliance on emergency food assistance. As of February 2025, 4.7 million Yemenis are classified in IPC Phase 3 or higher in Southern Yemen, and projections for early 2026 estimate this number could exceed 18 million for the whole country—more than half the population. The paper argues that humanitarian interventions have been trapped in a short-term relief cycle, while governance failures and macroeconomic collapse have neutralized donor impact. It concludes with a roadmap linking relief to development through agricultural revival, institutional reform, and integrated national data systems to achieve sustainable food security outcomes in Yemen.