The UN on Tuesday warned that food insecurity in Yemen has reached “disastrous” levels, with more than 17 million people going hungry, and malnutrition among children becoming increasingly lethal.

Ramesh Rajasingham, director of the coordination division at the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, told the Security Council that the country’s deepening humanitarian crisis cannot be resolved without a political settlement to the conflict in the country.

“Humanitarian assistance can keep people alive but only a political solution can make them safe,” he said, speaking on behalf of the UN’s humanitarian chief, Tom Fletcher.

Rajasingham highlighted the widespread hunger and malnutrition in Yemen, particularly among children.

“Half of Yemen’s children under 5 suffer from acute malnutrition; nearly half are stunted,” he said, adding that children are already dying of starvation in camps for displaced families in Hajjah Governorate.

“This is the human face of food insecurity,” he said as he recounted the case of a 9-month-old boy called Ahmed in Abs district, who required emergency treatment for severe malnutrition and infection.

With livelihoods decimated by the effects of the long-running civil war in the country, families are forced to resort to what Rajasingham called “terrible decisions” to survive, including selling their land and livestock, removing their children from schools, and marrying off adolescent daughters.

More than 30,000 women and girls in just three of the nation’s governorates have sought help and support in the past six months as a result of gender-based violence.

Rajasingham called for increased international funding and direct support for humanitarian operations, and warned that without urgent financial assistance, “the most vulnerable — displaced people, migrants and children — will face devastating consequences.”

He added: “Starvation is preventable but only if we act now.”

His plea comes as Houthi attacks on civilian shipping in the Red Sea, and spillover from the conflict in Gaza, continue to exacerbate the fragile situation in Yemen and undermine mediation efforts, the UN’s special envoy for Yemen, Hans Grundberg, said.

“Yemen must be protected from being further drawn into the ongoing regional turmoil emanating out of the war in Gaza,” Grundberg told council members.

He warned that recent escalations, including missile exchanges between the Houthis and Israeli forces, were placing immense strain on critical infrastructure in Yemen.

Following the sinking of two vessels as a result of Houthi attacks off Yemen’s west coast in early July, Grundberg noted that the unloading of ships at Saleef Port was taking three times longer than it had in June.

“Only two ships berthed in July and spent the entire month there,” he said, describing the delays at Saleef and Hodeidah ports “a major cause for concern,” given the important role they play in food imports.

The envoy also condemned the announcement by the Houthis on July 27 that they were expanding the scope of the vessels they would target, and called for a renewed focus on diplomacy.

He urged all UN member states to comply with Security Council resolutions, following the recent seizure of a large weapons cache off Yemen’s coast.

Under Security Council Resolution 2216, adopted in 2015, all UN member states are prohibited from supplying arms, ammunition and related materiel to Houthi forces. Despite this, several UN reports have documented the continuing flow of arms to the militia, including missile components and drones believed to originate in Iran.

Grundberg also warned on Tuesday that although the front lines in the conflict remain mostly stable, a major Houthi assault on July 25 in the Aleb area of Saadah Governorate had resulted in “high numbers of fatalities and injuries on both sides.” He also highlighted increasing fortification efforts by the militia near Hodeidah City as a “concerning” development.

Despite the escalating tensions, Grundberg welcomed progress on restoring access by road within Yemen, especially efforts to reopen a route connecting Bayda and Abyan governorates. He praised the contributions of civil society organizations and encouraged further efforts to open more roads to facilitate movement and commerce.

He said trust-building steps aligned with a December 2023 road map for peace must continue, to help keep political talks alive.

“Measures that build trust and improve the day-to-day lives of Yemenis must continue,” he added.

Addressing the deteriorating economy, Grundberg called for compromise between all those involved to reverse the fragmentation and relieve the financial pressures on families and businesses.

“It is crippling Yemeni households and has a stranglehold over Yemen’s private sector,” he said. “The time to act is now.”