Emergency Relief and Development Overseas (ERDO) and their local partner are working together on a food assistance project in the Mawza District, Taiz Governorate, of the Republic of Yemen (the south).
Yemen continues to face one of the world’s most severe and complex humanitarian crises. As of mid-2025, nearly half of the population (17.1 million people) is experiencing acute food insecurity (IPC Phase 3 or higher), with this number projected to rise to 18.1 million by early 2026. The key drivers of this deepening crisis are prolonged economic collapse, ongoing internal and international conflict, and climate shocks, including delayed and erratic rainfall as well as flash floods. At the same time, international humanitarian food assistance is being scaled back due to funding shortfalls, just as coping capacities are collapsing.
The situation in Taiz governorate, particularly in western districts like Mawza, is especially critical. These areas have faced repeated cycles of fighting and displacement, fragile local economies, and weakened infrastructure. The population faces recurrent displacement, limited access to clean water and healthcare, as well as poor agricultural productivity due to erratic weather and reduced access to farming inputs. Around 55% of the district population face either IPC 3 or 4 levels of food insecurity. Families are resorting to emergency and irreversible coping mechanisms – such as reducing meals, selling assets, or withdrawing children from school.
The project will provide 900 households with 6 monthly in-kind food baskets comprised of 75 kg of wheat flour, 10 kg of canned beans, 8 litres of vegetable oil, 2.5 kg of sugar and 1 kg of salt. The baskets are worth approximately CAD $92/household/month. Approximately 6,340 people will benefit from the assistance. Each household will also receive a low-cost and easy-to-use ceramic water filter to improve access to safe water and reduce the incidence of diarrhea and its effects on nutrition. As part of the project management training, some participants will implement small-scale rehabilitation projects (e.g. repair to water supply, road repair, school bathroom rehabilitation, etc.) on a cash-for-work basis.