Worsening Hunger in Houthi Areas as Salary Crisis Deepens During Ramadan

Indicators of severe hunger are escalating in northern Yemen regions controlled by Houthi militias, coinciding with the start of the holy month of Ramadan. Dozens of women have been observed queuing for basic meals outside charitable kitchens in several cities, most notably in Ibb, illustrating the deepening humanitarian crisis following years of suspended salaries and economic collapse.

Photographs and videos circulating on social media depict women and children gathered near a charitable kitchen in Ibb. Local residents confirm that aid is often limited to small portions or bags of bread and rice, insufficient to meet the needs of families who have lost their primary sources of income.

These distressing scenes emerge while the payment of salaries to hundreds of thousands of public sector employees in Houthi-controlled areas remains halted, a situation persisting since late 2016 after the internationally recognized government relocated the Central Bank headquarters to Aden.

Since the salary suspension, civil servants and activists accuse the militia of diverting public revenues—including taxes, customs duties, and state enterprise income—to finance its military efforts, sectarian activities, and administrative networks, rather than settling outstanding payrolls.

Reports from the United Nations Panel of Experts on Yemen indicate systematic diversion of public revenues and the imposition of additional levies under various pretexts, such as Zakat and "voluntary" contributions, all while essential services deteriorate and poverty expands.

According to the United Nations, approximately 19.5 million people across Yemen require humanitarian aid and protection. Furthermore, the latest analysis from the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification system shows that over 17 to 18 million Yemenis face acute levels of food insecurity, with millions more teetering on the brink of famine without urgent assistance.

In December, local residents in the de facto capital, Sana'a, reported the emergence of a phenomenon where vendors circulated through neighborhoods using loudspeakers to buy "dry bread" or residue flour from homes. Economists suggest this trend reflects an unprecedented erosion of purchasing power, forcing some families to rehydrate dried bread with water simply to secure a subsistence meal.

Experts link the expansion of hunger to the collapse of the local currency, soaring food prices, and the decline in humanitarian funding over the past two years. They emphasize that the absence of fundamental solutions to the salary crisis and persistent restrictions on economic activity in Houthi-held territories have increased the population's reliance on charitable initiatives, particularly during religious seasons.

While the Yemeni government and Houthi militias trade accusations regarding responsibility for the economic crisis, millions of civilians in the north remain trapped between lost income and dwindling international aid, amidst UN warnings that the current trajectory could push more families into famine within what remains one of the world's most severe humanitarian emergencies.