Children in Yemen are being plunged deeper into hunger as world leaders fail to fully re-open the Strait of Hormuz, said Save the Children, releasing a new market assessment showing how fuel and food prices have skyrocketed since the escalation in the Middle East region four months ago.
ADEN, 21 July 2026 - Children in Yemen are being plunged deeper into hunger as world leaders fail to fully re-open the Strait of Hormuz, said Save the Children, releasing a new market assessment showing how fuel and food prices have skyrocketed since the escalation in the Middle East region four months ago.
Rising food and fuel costs due to disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz and a surge in commercial shipping fees have left families struggling to survive in a country already grappling with one of the world’s worst food crises with 52% of the population – 18 million people - facing hunger [1].
Fuel imports through Yemen’s sea ports declined sharply in the first quarter of 2026 [2], resulting in shortages and inflated fuel costs which are delaying humanitarian aid operations and raising food and transport prices.
Families who were getting by before the escalation are now arriving at Save the Children's malnutrition clinics saying they are forced to skip meals and survive only on basics.
In Aden and Lahj governorates, one litre of petrol increased by as much as 42% [3], diesel by 23% [4] and liquid petroleum gas (LPG) by 14% [5] between February and June, according to the new figures.
In Taiz, where the cost of rice has increased by 30% [6] and staples such as tomatoes by 59% [7], Eman*, 80, has struggled to feed and care for her six grandchildren, with no reliable income and dwindling resources. Her son – the children's father – cannot find steady work, and his wife is gravely ill.
Eman* said: "Before the war, we had some savings, but they eventually ran out. We had some income from cattle - we used to make cheese and sell it to buy household necessities. Life was manageable then. Now we have nothing left except two sheep, whereas I once had 10. I also had two cows and now only the sheep remain.
"When prices were lower, we could sometimes buy chicken or fish, but now we can no longer afford any of those things.
“The children are often sick and need nutritious foods, but where can I get them from? Now there is barely enough for neither the adults nor the children. We can hardly provide even tea in the morning. The children get sick because there is not enough food, and I am weak and on medication.”
While Save the Children was able to treat Eman's grandchildren for malnutrition [8], the aid agency raised fears about the impact of rising food costs for its programmes like cash assistance, a core component of its portfolio which reached about 115,000 people in 2025. As inflation rises, more cash assistance needs to be provided to families to meet basic food needs, increasing the costs at a time when funding to Yemen is already declining. [9]
In Taiz, fuel shortages and a 56% hike in diesel prices [10] left aid workers unable to distribute essential food and hygiene items for three days in June. The shortages also temporarily delayed support to local health facilities, including the rehabilitation of health facilities damaged by the conflict, although operations have now resumed.
More than a decade of conflict has left two-thirds of the population – 22.3 million people – in urgent need of humanitarian assistance [11]. The economic crisis and climate shocks, such as flash floods, have destroyed livelihoods and left half of all children under five malnourished.
Critical funding shortfalls have forced life-saving programmes to scale back at the worst possible time, putting millions of children at risk and threatening to reverse years of humanitarian progress.
Rishana Haniffa, Save the Children Yemen Country Director, said:
“For over a decade, children in Yemen have been blighted by one crisis after another as global attention has receded. Now, they are victims to a regional escalation that has sent shockwaves through Yemen, disrupting supply chains and increasing the cost of staple foods, leaving children hungry.
“World leaders must stop playing politics with children’s lives. While the Strait of Hormuz is gradually re-opening, this is no quick fix for supply chains and food systems in Yemen – where even short periods of unaffordable food access have lasting consequences for children’s growth and development. These shocks will be felt by children and families for years.
“Food, fertiliser, and humanitarian supplies must be allowed to move freely through the Strait of Hormuz without delay. Every day these routes remain blocked, families go hungry, and children’s lives are put at risk. We also need a definitive, lasting ceasefire in the Middle East and wider region to create lasting protection for children in Yemen and the region.”
“We are halfway through 2026, and the UN’s Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan for Yemen is just 14.7% funded. Urgent and sustained multi-year, flexible funding is needed to help families meet their food needs and strengthen their ability to cope with future shocks.”
Save the Children has been working in Yemen since 1963, implementing programmes in food security and livelihoods, education, child protection, health and nutrition, water and sanitation, and emergency response across the country.
ENDS
For more information or to request an interview please reach out to Emily Wight, Global Media Manager: Emily.Wight@savethechildren.org
Our media out of hours (BST) contact is media@savethechildren.org.uk / +44(0)7831 650409
Notes to editors:
[1] UN OCHA Yemen Humanitarian Response Plan, 2026 Yemen | OCHA Yemen | OCHA
[2] WFP Yemen Food Security Update, May 2026: https://reliefweb.int/report/yemen/wfp-yemen-food-security-update-may-2026
[3] To assess the impact of the conflict in the Middle East and wider region on prices in Yemen, Save the Children conducted a market analysis comparing the cost of basic food items before and after crisis across three governorates of southern Yemen where Save the Children operates, including Aden, Taiz and Lahj. For each governorate and commodity, we compared WFP prices in February with market data collected by Save the Children in June 2026. In Aden and Lahj governorates, one litre of petrol increased from 1040 YER to 1475 YER.
[4] In Aden and Lahj governorates, one litre of diesel increased from 1200 YER in February to 1475 YER in June.
[5] In Aden and Lahj governorates, one litre of LPG increased from 475 YER to 541 YER between February and June.
[6] In Taiz, the cost of 1 kg of rice increased from 1500 YER in February to 1950 YER in June.
[7] In Taiz, the cost of 1 kg of tomatoes increased from 649 YER in February to 1033 YER in June.
[8] Staff screened them and provided nutritional supplements and vital guidance for Eman*
[9] The cash transfer rate for Government-controlled areas increased in June from $90 to $95 per household, to ensure that assistance aligns with inflation.
[10] In Taiz, one litre of diesel increased from 1300 YER in February to 2033 YER in June.
[11] UN OCHA Yemen Humanitarian Response Plan, 2026 Yemen | OCHA
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