As Yemen’s humanitarian emergency grinds into its second decade, international attention is still lacking, Bernd Kaussler, a professor at James Madison University and Yemen expert said.
Kaussler added “Yemen has always been the forgotten war. It has vanished from our collective conscience, and there is no champion for Yemenis.”
According to a recent United Nation’s report, Years of fighting have devastated the economy, pushed millions to the brink of famine, and left more than half of the 377,000 conflict-related deaths in the first seven years of war tied to hunger or lack of medical care, and nearly half of all Yemeni children under 5 are stunted due to malnutrition.
Kaussler believes that “It is almost impossible for any humanitarian organization to bring food and aid to Houthi-controlled areas because banks don’t want to get in trouble with the US government over sanctions violations,” adding:“The cutting-off of aid and designating the Houthis a terrorist organization — that has really condemned all Yemenis to an absolute catastrophe,”.
Kaussler described the long-term impact on children as “extraordinary,” warning that many may never fully recover.
Until recently, the United States was Yemen’s largest donor, contributing nearly $5.9 billion in aid over the past decade — more than triple that of the EU. But that support has now stopped.
Soon after taking office in January this year, President Donald Trump moved to dismantle the US Agency for International Development, redirecting foreign humanitarian and developmental aid to align with policy goals. Although most humanitarian programs were later reinstated, Yemen and Taliban-controlled Afghanistan were excluded.
In cutting off Yemen, US officials voiced concerns that aid was being diverted by the Houthis, who control access to aid within the territory they hold.
Kaussler acknowledged the risk but said cutting aid would backfire, adding it further destabilizes a country in an already volatile region, while also creating space for China to increase its soft-power footprint.
The new US sanctions have forced multiple aid groups to suspend operations in Houthi-held territory, Amnesty International said. Islamic Relief, a UK-based charity, said sanctions have disrupted banking access and fund transfers, and urged exemptions to allow life-saving aid to get through.
The Houthis have also undermined aid delivery. In June 2024, they arrested 13 UN staff and several other aid workers during coordinated raids. Human rights groups say the Houthis since 2014 have arbitrarily detained and tortured hundreds of civilians, including humanitarian workers, many of whom have never been seen again. That has had a chilling effect on aid organizations operating or seeking to operate in Yemen.