Millions of families in displacement camps in Yemen are enduring freezing conditions in tents that offer little protection, amid one of the country's harshest winters in recent years.
With international aid in short supply, each day of suffering becomes a new battle in the struggle to survive.
Inside a tattered tent in a camp north of Sanaa, Safiya lives with her family of 18. The shelter cannot keep out the wind or block the rain, and plunging overnight temperatures add to the misery.
A family that fled in search of safety now faces a cold that shows no mercy.
"We suffer from the cold and the rain. If it rains, the tent and interior are affected. I have children who cannot bear it and might die from the cold, so I cover them with plastic bags because of the heavy rain and freezing cold. Sometimes the bedding is soaked with water. The place where we sit is flooded, and the mattresses and blankets are also wet. We don't know where to sit. We also suffer from hunger and illness," said Safiya, a displaced mother.
Humanitarian agencies said most of Yemen's 4.5 million internally displaced people are living in camps without adequate winter clothing, blankets, or proper shelter.
Field reports show that conditions are deteriorating in 45 camps across 12 provinces, with deaths reported, particularly among children and the elderly.
With humanitarian funding on the decline, special winter assistance provided by some organizations remains limited and falls far short of meeting growing needs.
"The combination of cold, hunger and lack of basic health services has naturally worsened the situation. You know that humanitarian aid has become scarce due to U.S. sanctions and the politicization of aid, which directly affects displaced families in the camps -- especially in areas facing extreme cold or multiple outbreaks of disease," said Sand Al-Sayyadi, spokesperson for a human rights group.
But this crisis is not driven by the cold alone. Years of instability and political complexity in Yemen have undermined long-term humanitarian responses.
While relief organizations have expanded their efforts in the past, aid workers say increasing assistance alone is not a lasting solution. Addressing the crisis requires tackling its root causes, including political restrictions, fragile infrastructure, and declining international commitment to one of the world's longest-running humanitarian emergencies.
Aid cuts, freezing weather take toll on displaced families in Yemen
