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Humanitarian crisis deepens as NGOs exit northern Yemen
Local and international aid organizations are shutting down operations in Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen, citing impossible working conditions, funding losses, and systematic interference by the Iran-backed movement. One Yemeni aid worker, identified only as Amina for security, says her organization has lost 90% of its funding and laid off most of its 450 staff after years of battling Houthi demands.
Houthi interference blocks critical aid
Amina's unnamed NGO, which previously served 1,600 impoverished families, was forced to abandon a cash assistance program last year after Houthi authorities insisted on selecting 300 beneficiaries themselves. When she refused to bypass her organization's vetting process, the initiative collapsed entirely-leaving all 1,600 families without support.
"The Houthis wanted to give cash to families of their own selection," Amina said. "I asked them to take their request to the international donor, but they refused. In the end, no one received anything."
Funding cuts and asset seizures
The U.S. designation of the Houthis as a terrorist organization in early 2025 triggered a cascade of financial restrictions, drying up critical funding streams. An anonymous official at an international NGO said the loss of U.S. donations wiped out over half of their Yemen portfolio, forcing a complete halt to operations in the north.
Exiting the region proved just as difficult. The official described how Houthi authorities confiscated all assets-generators, servers, computers, and financial records-when the NGO attempted to close its facilities. "We were told we'd have to start from scratch if we ever returned," they said.
Detentions and intimidation
Humanitarian workers face routine harassment, arbitrary detention, and even death in Houthi custody. The UN reports 73 of its staff remain detained, some since 2021, while a Save the Children employee and a World Food Programme (WFP) worker died in Houthi prisons in 2023 and 2025, respectively.
Amina recounted how her staff were jailed for days after distributing aid based on need rather than Houthi-approved lists. "I had to suspend operations in that province to secure their release," she said. Several employees required a year of psychological support afterward.
The Houthis have accused detained aid workers of espionage. In an October speech, group leader Abdul Malik al-Houthi claimed his forces had uncovered "well-trained spy cells" operating under humanitarian cover, allegations the UN has denied.
UN and NGOs pull out as hunger worsens
Save the Children and the International Rescue Committee suspended work in Houthi areas last year. The WFP, which assisted 8 million Yemenis in 2024, will end its northern operations by the end of March-despite warnings of catastrophic hunger in three Houthi-controlled provinces.
"Greater international support is urgently needed to prevent the situation from spiraling into an even worse crisis," said Oxfam's Yemen country director, Farran Puig. Yet many donors remain wary of violating U.S. sanctions or provoking Houthi retaliation.
'The independent humanitarian community is dying'
Amina, now struggling to keep her organization afloat, accuses international donors of abandoning local NGOs to face Houthi pressure alone. "The chances of survival for independent aid groups in northern Yemen are shrinking by the day," she said.
The BBC sought comment from Houthi officials but received no response.
