Yemen Crisis Deepens as US Aid Cuts Threaten Lives & Fuel Epidemics

AL KAWD, Yemen – In the cramped examination room of this tiny village clinic, Rania Moussa lay on her side and covered her eyes with a pillow, her slight, childlike frame belying the fact she is 13 years old. It had been days since she had taken an injection of the powerful antibiotics she needs to manage her condition, a type of anemia.

But the clinic, which used to give them for free, now had none to offer; and aid cuts since the U.S. Froze assistance last year meant it was unlikely to get them anytime soon. Without the medication, Rania’s mother said, her daughter couldn’t do anything.

“She can’t walk; she can barely move. I had to carry her here. We could get the shots before, but now none of the clinics have them, so I have to buy them from pharmacies,” said Jamilah Omar, Rania’s mother. “We can barely afford food, let alone medications.”

Somehow, Omar scraped together money for the antibiotics, which the clinic staff administered.

The situation in Al Kawd is a stark illustration of the wider impact of the evisceration of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) following actions taken by the Trump administration. While discussions surrounding its shuttering often devolve into political debate about savings or lack thereof, the real-world consequences are playing out in places like Yemen, where millions rely on humanitarian assistance.

Areeda Fadhli, the 53-year-old medical assistant managing the clinic, expressed a sense of helplessness. “Imagine your son, your daughter, fading in front of you,” she said. “How do you think that feels?”

Fadhli pointed to boxes of basic medical supplies, the last shipment received more than nine months ago. “We’re trying to stretch them as much as possible.”

The contractions in aid to Yemen reflect a broader trend of diminishing foreign assistance worldwide. In 2025, the U.S. Pledged $3.4 billion in global aid, a fraction of the $14.1 billion funded previously. The administration announced in 2026 it would provide $2 billion to U.N. Programs in 17 countries, pointedly excluding Afghanistan and Yemen.

Last year, U.S. Funding for Yemen from USAID and other sources plummeted from $768 million – half of the country’s humanitarian response budget in 2024 – to $42.5 million. The U.N. Estimates that 453 health facilities have faced partial or imminent closure across the country as a result.

The Lancet, the British medical journal, published a study estimating that the cuts to USAID could result in 14 million otherwise preventable deaths worldwide by 2030.

Yemen, already grappling with a calamitous civil war that began in 2014, was in dire need of assistance. An estimated 19.5 million people – slightly less than half of the population – required humanitarian assistance in 2025, with the majority facing food insecurity. This year, with ongoing political upheaval, that number is expected to rise to 21 million.

The situation is further complicated by the Trump administration’s designation of the Houthi rebels as a foreign terrorist organization, which effectively outlaws aid deliveries to areas under their control, where 70% of the population resides. The Houthis have detained 73 U.N. Staff members and confiscated vehicles and telecommunications equipment, hindering the U.N.’s ability to operate.

“You have the perturbations of the conflict and increased humanitarian needs at the same time as a challenging funding environment constrained the delivery environment,” said Julien Harneis, the U.N.’s resident coordinator in Yemen. “So all the conditions are coming together for a very difficult year.”

For aid organizations in Yemen, the focus has shifted to preserving remaining operations. One aid worker, speaking anonymously, said his organization had shut down one of its two offices, fired 250 out of 300 employees, and suspended support to dozens of health centers. The organization’s portfolio had shrunk from roughly $32 million to $2 million.

“Yes, we have other donors from Europe and Canada, but it doesn’t equal even 5% of what the Americans would give,” he said.

Some organizations are attempting to tailor proposals to align with Washington’s regional priorities, while avoiding terms that have become problematic under the current administration. “Anything focusing on gender, feminism, or LGBT protection: A statement with any of those concepts wouldn’t get sign-off,” the aid worker explained.

Dr. Umayma Jamil, an OB-GYN specialist who travels from Aden to Al Kawd to provide care, now only visits once a week, funded by whatever resources the clinic can secure. “People come here because they have no money, but before we could offer them solutions to their problems,” she said. “Now, I ask them, ‘Did you get medicine?’ And they say they can’t because there’s no money.”

The impact extends beyond smaller facilities, affecting major institutions like Al-Razi hospital in Abyan province. Dr. Muhsen Abdullah, the head of the emergency room, described a ward lacking surgical thread, stitches, and even basic supplies like iodine and rubbing alcohol. Patients are often forced to purchase their own supplies before receiving treatment, and some postpone procedures due to the cost of postoperative care.

With limited funding, detecting and responding to epidemics is becoming increasingly difficult. Aid groups report a lack of reporting from health centers, making it challenging to track outbreaks. Cholera cases are suspected to be higher than last year, but without testing kits, accurate data is unavailable.

“Children are dying, and more children will die later this year,” Harneis warned, anticipating an increase in epidemics and mortality, particularly among young children. “Epidemics don’t stop at the border.”

The U.S. Recently completed its withdrawal from the World Health Organization, a decision the organization says makes “both the United States and the world less safe.”

While some acknowledge that USAID wasn’t perfect, many in the aid community lament the rollback of their work. One source likened it to the abrupt withdrawal from Afghanistan, leaving years of development efforts in jeopardy. “You’ve destroyed the work of decades.”