Yemen

Yemen remains one of the world’s largest and most complex humanitarian crises. Now in its tenth year, the crisis has been driven by protracted conflict, economic collapse, climate shocks, and the erosion of public services. In 2025, an estimated 19.5 million people – more than half the population – require humanitarian assistance and protection services. Among them are 4.8 million internally displaced people (IDPs), making Yemen the fifth-largest internal displacement crisis globally.

While hostilities have eased in some areas since the 2022 UN-brokered truce, protection risks remain high. Over 17 million people face acute food insecurity, and more than 3 million children under five and pregnant or breastfeeding women suffer from acute malnutrition. Climate-related disasters – particularly flooding – have become the leading cause of new displacement, with 93 per cent of new displacements in 2024 linked to climate shocks.

Yemen also hosts over 61,000 refugees and asylum-seekers, primarily from Somalia and Ethiopia, many of whom have lived in the country for decades. Most reside in urban areas, while others live in Kharaz refugee camp in Lahj Governorate – the only formal refugee camp in the country. Despite years of instability, Yemen remains the only country on the Arabian Peninsula that is party to the 1951 Refugee Convention and its 1967 Protocol, and continues to serve as both a country of asylum and a key transit point for mixed movements from the Horn of Africa.

UNHCR leads the Protection, Camp Coordination and Camp Management (CCCM), and Shelter/Non-Food Items (NFI) clusters in Yemen. The response focuses on legal assistance, civil documentation, shelter rehabilitation, support and coordination to displacement sites, emergency and multi-purpose financial assistance, peaceful coexistence projects, and comprehensive support to refugees and asylum-seekers. UNHCR remains the only UN agency in Yemen mandated to protect and assist refugees and asylum-seekers.

Today, UNHCR has a well-established presence across the country. It covers all 22 governorates and 333 districts through its Country Office in Sana’a, Sub-Office in Aden, and Field Offices in Marib, Al-Hudaydah, Sa’ada, and Ibb.

In 2025, UNHCR is appealing for $305 million to continue delivering protection and assistance to forcibly displaced Yemenis, refugees and the communities that host them. With continued support from the international community, UNHCR can help protect the most vulnerable and respond to the growing needs that are adding to Yemen’s ongoing crisis.

Additional information

For information about our work in Yemen: