Attachments
Key Highlights;
- Yemen continues to face an escalating food security crisis entring 2026, January data revealed that 63% of households nationwide struggling to meet their minimum food needs, including 36% facing severe food deprivation. The YoY deterioration particularly pronounced in Ma’rib, Aden, and Hajjah governorates.
- In SBA areas, the economic pressure is compounding due to economic sanctions, depleting reserves, liquidity constraints, and stifled business environment. Local industries are struggling with import challenges that risk further straining the job market. Increased taxation has added further pressure on market prices in SBA areas, with January 2026 reports showing YoY price rises of 6% for vegetable oil and 2% for wheat flour in Sana’a City.
- In IRG areas, the exchange rate remained stable for the sixth consecutive month at an average of YER 1,616/US$ at the end of January 2026, contributing to lower food and fuel prices compared to January last year. The second batch of the KSA deposit announced in September 2025 was released in mid-January, aiming mainly to facilitate government salary payments for nearly two months.
- Food imports via Red Sea ports have sharply increased since October 2025, with January 2026 marking a nine‑year high. This is likely associated with the regional ceasefire, a period when traders moved to stockpile reserves, hedge against possible supply disruptions amid ongoing uncertainty, as well as prepare for heightened demand during Ramadan. At the same time, food imports via the IRG-controlled ports of Aden and Al Mukalla in January were 27% above the 12‑month moving average. In contrast, fuel imports remained below average by 65% at Red Sea ports and by 27% at IRG-controlled ports.
- In IRG-controlled areas, WFP started first distribution cycle of its new targeted emergency food assistance (TEFA) programme in early February 2026, reducing the number of beneficiaries from 3.4 million to 1.7 million due to severe funding shortages.