The escalation and renewed fighting in Yemen has led to the cutting off of aid to hundreds of thousands, hospitals being overcrowded with infected people, and cholera cases tripling.

Today, Wednesday (October 14, 2026), the World Food Program sounded the alarm bell, warning that the escalation of the conflict in Yemen has led to the interruption of life-saving humanitarian aid to about 800,000 people, in light of the movement of front lines, the closure of roads, and increasing insecurity, especially in the city of Taiz and other areas affected by the fighting.

The program said, in a statement, that more than 600,000 people in Taiz (southwest of the country) depend on humanitarian aid, including more than 200,000 women and children, who have become inaccessible due to continuing confrontations and restrictions imposed on the roads.

He added, "Including the communities that have been cut off from access on the western coast of Yemen since early last September, the total number of people the program cannot reach has risen to 800,000 people."

He explained that the Taiz districts host the largest numbers of internally displaced people since the beginning of the crisis, noting that many families have been displaced several times, while access to their areas has become more difficult with the continuing fighting and the imminent closure of the roads surrounding the governorate.

Al-Khader Dalum, the program’s representative and regional director in Yemen, expressed his concern about the increasing number of people whom the program is no longer able to reach, explaining that many of the affected families were already suffering from difficulty affording basic food supplies, and that the situation could quickly deteriorate into a humanitarian disaster if aid cannot be safely delivered to those in need.

The program indicated that Taiz records the highest levels of food insecurity in Yemen, as 10 out of 16 districts in the governorate were previously classified at emergency level, which is the fourth level of the Integrated Interim Classification of Food Security. He added that the latest monitoring indicates that wheat flour stocks are almost exhausted, and that the remaining food supplies in local markets may only be sufficient for a short period if restrictions on access to the affected areas continue.

Hunger and food insecurity worsen

At the level of Yemen, the program reported that “more than 18 million people face severe food insecurity, while about 2.2 million children under the age of five suffer from acute malnutrition, including 500,000 children who suffer from severe acute malnutrition.”

The latest monitoring in accessible areas showed that 74 percent of families are unable to meet their basic food needs, the highest level recorded this year, according to the program. The statement quoted Matthew Hollingsworth, WFP's Assistant Executive Director for Program Operations, as saying that "hunger is worsening in Yemen," warning that the repercussions of the recent escalation on food security "could be very devastating."

The World Food Program said that the escalation led to severe disruptions in its operations, including the storming of offices, the loss of food assets and stocks, and the interruption of vital supply chain routes, which undermines humanitarian efforts at a time of increasing needs. He added that 72 United Nations employees are still detained by the de facto Houthi authorities, including 37 World Food Program employees, reiterating his call for their immediate and unconditional release.

In areas that are still accessible, the program has provided emergency assistance to more than 115,000 people newly displaced by the fighting, “and is preparing to expand the scope of assistance to reach 1.5 million people once they can be reached.” The program warned that it would be forced to significantly reduce its aid as of next November “unless it obtains new funding,” calling for ensuring safe and sustainable humanitarian access and providing urgent funding. He explained that he needs $268 million to continue providing emergency food aid, nutrition programs, school meals, resilience-building activities, and humanitarian logistics services in Yemen until the end of 2027.

Great pressure on hospitals

Medical supplies also began to run out, and Al-Thawra Hospital in Taiz said that it was suffering from a severe shortage of dialysis supplies, and that its stock would only be sufficient for 14 days. Dr. Yousef Al-Zakri, director of the hospital's dialysis center, told Reuters, "We had a shipment arriving from Aden, but due to the current conditions, we were unable to receive it."

The Red Cross said on Wednesday that hospitals located on the front lines in areas including Marib, Taiz, and the Yemeni coast on the Red Sea are receiving unprecedented numbers of injured people as a result of the fighting, and some facilities received more than 700 injured people in one week.

Firas Abu Samra, health services coordinator at the International Committee of the Red Cross, said in a statement, “The personnel specialized in caring for traumatic injuries are facing tremendous pressure, as only a small number of health facilities operating in Yemen have the capacity to provide comprehensive care for traumatic injuries, while hospitals located on the front lines receive wounded in large numbers, at a time when they suffer from a scarcity of surgical supplies, anesthesia supplies, oxygen, and medications.”

The committee warned that health services in Yemen, which have been severely damaged by more than a decade of conflict, economic crisis, displacement and disease outbreaks, may have limited capacity to absorb a new wave of mass casualties if the fighting intensifies.

Cholera outbreak and a significant increase in the number of infected people

The number of suspected cases of cholera has tripled in three weeks. The World Health Organization explained that the number of new cases increased from 217 cases in the week from September 6 to 12 to 647 cases in the week from September 27 to October 3. The organization warned that the increasing number of infections is putting additional pressure on hospitals that are already treating thousands of people with injuries resulting from the war.

Since the beginning of the year, a total of 8,034 suspected cases of cholera and 27 deaths have been recorded in Yemen. According to the organization, about a quarter of the suspected cases occurred during the past four weeks. The escalation of conflict and the displacement of large numbers of people also increases the risk of outbreaks of other diseases. The World Health Organization has warned that overcrowding in shelters, a lack of clean water, and deteriorating health care services could lead to the spread of measles and other preventable infectious diseases.

“Families who fled fighting now face the additional threat of preventable and treatable diseases,” said Annette Heintzelman, WHO Regional Emergencies Director. She added that the absence of the urgent funding required and the insufficient availability of potable water, vaccinations, and basic health services may lead to the rapid spread of diseases among the most vulnerable groups.

The United Nations International Organization for Migration estimated that more than 217,000 people have fled their homes in Yemen since the recent escalation and renewed fighting. Earlier, the High Commissioner for Refugees, Barham Salih, said that the recent fighting and displacement that Yemen has witnessed only serve to "exacerbate the enormous suffering experienced by millions as a result of years of conflict." Saleh continued, "This dangerous escalation must end, and every effort must be made to end this conflict."

Edited by: Salah Sharara