World Food Programme considers ending aid to Houthi-controlled areas in Yemen after ‘interference’

Yemeni children present documents in order to receive food rations provided by a local charity, in Sanaa. The World Food Programme is (AP)
Updated 21 May 2019
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World Food Programme considers ending aid to Houthi-controlled areas in Yemen after ‘interference’

  • Negotiations with Houthi leaders to open up access to hungry people had not yet brought tangible results
  • "Humanitarian workers in Yemen are being denied access to the hungry, aid convoys have been blocked," WFP says

LONDON: The World Food Programme (WFP) is considering suspending aid delivery in the areas under the control of Yemen's Houthi group because of fighting, insecurity and interference it its work, the agency said on Monday.

"Humanitarian workers in Yemen are being denied access to the hungry, aid convoys have been blocked, and local authorities have interfered with food distribution," the WFP said in a statement. "This has to stop."

The highly unusual threat from the UN agency, which is feeding more than 10 million people across Yemen, reflected what it said were "obstacles that are being put in our way".

"We face daily challenges due to the unrelenting fighting and insecurity in Yemen. And yet, our greatest challenge does not come from the guns, that are yet to fall silent in this conflict - instead, it is the obstructive and uncooperative role of some of the Houthi leaders in areas under their control."

Negotiations with Houthi leaders to open up access to hungry people had not yet brought tangible results, WFP said, although some had made positive commitments.

"Unfortunately, they (Houthi leaders) are being let down by other Houthi leaders who have broken assurances they gave us on stopping food diversions and finally agreeing to a beneficiary identification and biometric registration exercise."

WFP's threat of a partial pullout comes after fighting around Hodeidah marred an apparent diplomatic breakthrough by U.N. envoy Martin Griffiths, who got the Iranian-aligned Houthis to agree a unilateral withdrawal of their forces from Hodeidah and two other ports earlier this month.


US announces ‘large-scale’ strikes against Daesh in Syria

Updated 11 January 2026
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US announces ‘large-scale’ strikes against Daesh in Syria

  • CENTCOM said operation ordered by President Donald Trump
  • Launched in response to the deadly Dec. 13 Daesh attack in Palmyra

WASHINGTON: US and allied forces carried out “large-scale” strikes against the Daesh group in Syria on Saturday in response to an attack last month that left three Americans dead, the US military said.

“The strikes today targeted Daesh throughout Syria” and were part of Operation Hawkeye Strike, which was launched “in direct response to the deadly Daesh attack on US and Syrian forces in Palmyra, Syria” on December 13, US Central Command said in a statement on X.

CENTCOM said the operation was ordered by President Donald Trump following the ambush and is aimed at “root(ing) out Islamic terrorism against our warfighters, prevent(ing) future attacks, and protect(ing) American and partner forces in the region.”

The statement continued: “If you harm our warfighters, we will find you and kill you anywhere in the world, no matter how hard you try to evade justice,” adding that US and coalition forces remain “resolute in pursuing terrorists who seek to harm the United States.”

The statement did not note whether anyone was killed in the strikes. The Pentagon ⁠declined to comment on more details and the State Department did ‌not immediately respond to ‍a request for comment.

About 1,000 US troops remain in Syria, while Syria has been cooperating with a US-led coalition against Daesh, reaching an agreement late last year when President Ahmed Al-Sharaa visited the White House.

* With Agencies