Food Security Provided to 1400 Individuals in Yemen’s Displacement Camps by Life for Relief and Development USA (LIFE)

“Hope is the last thing ever lost.”

This Italian proverb aptly captures the essence of human existence: as long as we are alive, we continue to hope. For those suffering in extreme states of poverty and food insecurity, consumed by hunger and hardship, hope is the only thing that remains.

This is the heartbreaking situation that four out of every five people in Yemen find themselves in. Due to the ongoing conflict in the country, over 19 million - including 15 million women and children - are in urgent need of humanitarian assistance. With nearly five million internally displaced, many have had to rebuild what was left of their lives in camps with limited access to basic services.

Yemen has experienced a collapse in its economic, educational, and social spheres. With its weakened infrastructure, 50 percent of the total workforce that once depended on agriculture find themselves stranded with no income. Adding to this, Yemen’s dependency on importing approximately 70% of its food leaves its population vulnerable to food insecurity as the conflict disrupts trade agreements and limits access to Yemen’s entry ports.

Further worsening the situation, Yemen is susceptible to droughts, floods, and locust infestations. These natural disasters have continued to diminish agricultural productivity and reserves, providing just 15–20% of the staple produce required by the nation. Due to this unique combination of factors, basic meals have become unaffordable for many households in Yemen, with the cost of staple foods surging by up to 45%.

Yemen currently ranks as the second-hungriest country in the world, with one of the highest child stunting and wasting rates globally. The chronic food insecurity faced by its population continues to have a detrimental impact on the wellbeing of Yemenis, with many households skipping meals and surviving on scarce rations.

In response to the food crisis plaguing the country, Life for Relief and Development USA (LIFE) distributed Ramadan food baskets from March 04 to March 05, 2025, in Marib, Yemen’s displacement camps. These food baskets reached 214 families - 1400 beneficiaries in total – and served displaced, poor and vulnerable members of the community. Each basket provided food security to a family of six for the entire month of fasting, with staple foods such as rice, flour, oil, and dates.

For the beneficiaries, the food baskets were a beacon of hope in a world full of despair. Accustomed to life in displacement camps, families faced many challenges as they prepared to welcome the fasting month of Ramadan. For one disabled recipient, Ahmed, the burden of feeding his family weighed heavily. However, LIFE’s food charity provided immediate relief for Ahmed, equipped with nutritional ingredients that could sustain his family throughout Ramadan.

The case of Umm Muhammad, a widow living in one of the camps, further captures the powerful impact these food baskets have had on its recipients. Having lost her husband two years ago, she struggles to provide some form of normality and stability for her six children. The food basket was met with grateful hearts and hands, as the constant state of hunger felt by the children would come to an end for this month. Umm Muhammad, overcome with joy and gratitude.

These stories are two of thousands that are found in Yemen’s displacement camp: stories of unbearable human suffering, but also of unyielding willpower and steadfastness. Through the Ramadan Food Basket project, LIFE not only provided food, but also hope, humanity, and a reminder, that where there is LIFE, there is hope.