The Biden administration has agreed in principle to resume the delivery of tens of thousands of tons of wheat to Yemeni civilians in territory controlled by Houthi rebels, ending a yearlong diplomatic standoff even as the Iranian-backed insurgents detain United Nations aid workers and attack United States and other international merchant ships on the Red Sea, according to diplomatic sources.
The U.S. froze delivery of its food aid to northern Yemen last August, instead storing a shipment of some 60,000 metric tons earmarked for northern Yemen in warehouses in ports in the United Arab Emirates. The action was aimed at strengthening the financially strapped World Food Programme’s negotiating leverage as it sought to broker a deal that ensured that only those most needing food assistance received it.
In December, WFP formally suspended its general food distribution program in northern Yemen, after the Houthis rejected its distribution plan, which would cut out millions of potential Yemeni beneficiaries — though the U.N. continued a special nutrition program for children and a school feeding program.
About the author
Colum Lynch
Colum Lynch is an award-winning reporter and Senior Global Reporter for Devex. He covers the intersection of development, diplomacy, and humanitarian relief at the United Nations and beyond. Prior to Devex, Colum reported on foreign policy and national security for Foreign Policy Magazine and the Washington Post. Colum was awarded the 2011 National Magazine Award for digital reporting for his blog Turtle Bay. He has also won an award for groundbreaking reporting on the U.N.’s failure to protect civilians in Darfur.
