Yemen Crisis
For more than 10 years, conflict has raged in Yemen, subjecting its people to physical danger, displacement and hunger.
Over 19.5 million people in Yemen are in desperate need of help, and more than half of them are children. They do not have enough food and lack access to clean water and good healthcare.
About 17.1 million people in Yemen do not know where their next meal will come from, with over half of all children suffering from chronic malnutrition.
Over 80% of the population live below the poverty line, and there has been a 34% increase in acute malnutrition among children under 5 in southern Yemen.
Disease, starvation and healthcare collapse
Unprecedented flooding and windstorms in August 2024 further displaced tens of thousands of families, destroying vital infrastructure, and fuelling the rapid spread of cholera.
These natural disasters and the collapse of the Black Sea Grain Initiative in 2023, which had previously allowed grain to be safely exported from Ukraine during the war in the country, means the situation is only getting worse.
Yemen is one of the most food-insecure countries in the world. The lives of millions of children and their mothers in danger. If severely malnourished children do not get the right treatment, they face a 30 to 50% risk of death.
The crisis extends beyond just food and malnutrition. Less than half of the country’s health facilities are working, and many are without the equipment they need. The country’s water infrastructure is also in bad shape, making it hard for people to stay healthy and clean. In these dire conditions, one child dies every 10 minutes from preventable diseases.
In addition to these challenges, 3.2 million children are unable to attend school and receive the education they need.
Please support our work and donate today, so we can continue to save lives in Yemen.
Fact sheet
people in need of humanitarian assistance in 2022
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people are food insecure
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people are displaced
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We need your help to:
In 2024, we reached over 2.59 million people through interventions such as food aid, water and sanitation, healthcare, and livelihood support.
Islamic Relief provided life-saving assistance to 2.59 million Yemenis in 2024 through our dedicated team of 300 staff and 3,000 volunteers – our most extensive aid operation anywhere in the world.
In 2024, we worked with the World Food Programme to distribute food baskets to over 54,7 people, and 48,3 people in 2025. We have also supported thousands of people through various livelihood projects and health projects.
Since 2015, we have treated hundreds of thousands of malnourished children and pregnant women and have provided blanket supplementary feeding to children under 5 and pregnant and breastfeeding women.
We have supported and strengthened 184 health facilities, enabling medical staff and nurses to provide vital care to those in need.
We have improved the lives of hundreds of thousands of people by enhancing water supply systems, constructing toilets, providing hygiene kits, and conducting awareness campaigns.
We also support thousands of children through our Orphan Sponsorship Programme, as well as child protection activities and counselling to help them cope with trauma.
With your help Islamic Relief can do even more for the people of Yemen. As conditions continue to deteriorate, more and more people are in need of support.
Your kind donations enable Islamic Relief to continue our life-saving work in Yemen.
Find out more about our vital work in our Yemen: Annual Report 2022.
Due to ongoing conflict, blockades, and delays in food imports, food prices in Yemen constantly fluctuate. At times, food prices have more than doubled during the conflict that started in March 2015. Islamic Relief Yemen continues to provide life-saving aid to those most in need through its partnership with international organizations such as the World Food Programme and the Yemen Humanitarian Fund (YHF). We will regularly update price handles to reflect the current situation on the ground.
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Zia Salik was appointed Interim Director of Islamic Relief UK in 2025, and brings with him over 18 years of third sector experience. He has held several leadership roles within Islamic Relief UK, including National Events Coordinator, National Community Fundraising Manager, Head of Fundraising, and Deputy Director. Zia has led national fundraising strategies, managed large-scale campaigns and events, and contributed significantly to volunteer development, donor engagement and public outreach.
As Interim Director, Zia oversees multiple teams and contributes to strategic planning, operational leadership and organisational growth. He is recognised for his expertise in major donor management, public speaking, media engagement and community fundraising. Zia has been instrumental in building strong community networks and delivering impactful campaigns.
Before joining Islamic Relief, Zia served as Programmes Manager at Humber All Nations Alliance, where he led organisational growth, project delivery and funding proposals.
Zia is a seasoned leader committed to social justice, who brings a collaborative, mission-driven approach to his work, helping to amplify voices and maximise impact in the charity sector.
Nadeem has a wealth of experience from the charity, statutory and private sectors. He is the Managing Director of HAD (a division of IRW) which is a centre of excellence seeking to empower the humanitarian sector and maximise its effectiveness and from October 2025 will serve as our interim CEO.
Before joining Islamic Relief, for nearly a decade at the General Medical Council — a globally recognised professional regulator — Nadeem managed strategic relationships with Chief Medical Officers and senior leaders. Prior to that, he served as the UK Director of Islamic Help, engaging closely with many international non-governmental organisations and playing a key role in fundraising and media activities.
In 2000, Nadeem was admitted as a solicitor. He spent nearly 8 years as a Partner at a law firm specialising in employment, regulatory and charity law. He has published papers, including in the Modern Law Review, and chapters in books.
Nadeem is deeply committed to strengthening civil society organisations and the charity sector, and throughout his career has focused on improving foundations for future generations and building strong networks. Nadeem has particular expertise working in matters of Learning and Development, especially personal and professional development, combining Islamic principles with modern techniques and interventions. He is also especially interested in psychological perspectives and cognitive distortions. He has designed and delivered training to thousands of people for nearly 3 decades.
As well as individual development and growth, Nadeem has spent 20 years working with organisations to manage and lead people to improve outcomes and efficiencies. He is a Consultant Coach, qualified at ILM Level 5 in Effective Coaching and Mentoring and ILM Level 7 in Executive and Senior Leadership Coaching. He was Chair of the Independent Advisory Group for the Professional Standards Department of West Midlands Police for 4 years, where he was awarded recognition for his ‘Outstanding Work.’
Saqeb Mueen
Asha joined Islamic Relief in 2025 with the aim of working with colleagues to create an environment where everyone feels valued, empowered, and motivated to contribute meaningfully to our shared mission.
Asha has more than 20 years of experience in HR leadership across a range of industries, holding roles at Thomson Reuters, BMW, Movado Group and others. She is passionate about building strong, resilient teams and fostering positive workplace cultures where individuals are empowered to thrive, contribute and do their best work.
Asha holds a BA in Management, Economics and Law, as well as a BA in Business Studies. She is an Associate Member of the Chartered Institute of Personnel Development.
Adnan joined Islamic Relief in 2004 as a regional fundraiser in the UK. He worked in multiple roles over 10 years at Islamic Relief UK, including setting up the first digital team and leading the growth of digital fundraising and engagement. Adnan also led numerous fundraising and marketing campaigns, which played a significant part in the growth of Islamic Relief UK.
Having moved to Islamic Relief Worldwide in 2014, Adnan has held different roles that have helped grow Islamic Relief’s global digital footprint into new geographic territories, supporting Islamic Relief members with their digital and marketing growth as well as developing new products and initiatives for the Islamic Relief family.
Adnan graduated in Industrial Design and Technology from Loughborough University. He has since completed an Advanced Diploma in Business Administration from Durham University and a Diploma in Digital Marketing from the Institute of Data and Marketing.
Nadeem Azhar
Nadeem joined Islamic Relief Worldwide in September 2022. He has worked in the charitable sector for over a decade.
He studied Modern History and Politics at Manchester University, and at the University of Law in London before qualifying as a solicitor in 2011.
Nadeem is an experienced corporate, commercial and governance lawyer, having worked with various faith-based and grant making charities as well those in health and education settings. He was a partner at a law firm in London before moving in-house where he focused on setting up and restructuring charities and social enterprises.
Most recently, Nadeem was Lead Counsel at Mind, a leading mental health charity, where he co-authored a new federation agreement, revamped legal processes, and played a major role in developing its strategic and fundraising partnerships.
Nadeem has been a charity trustee for the Seafarers Charity, as well as many grant-making bodies and theatre companies.
Salaheddin joined Islamic Relief UK in 2006 and over the next 7 years held multiple roles, including Community Fundraiser and Campaigns Manager, before joining Islamic Relief Worldwide in 2013.
Since then, Salaheddin has been instrumental in the launch and growth of new Islamic Relief member offices in Ireland, Spain, Norway and Finland, as well as providing essential support and guidance to existing members, including Italy, where he served as CEO for 3 years.
In 2023, Salaheddin became Deputy Director of Global Family Development and in this role has continued to play a crucial part in steering Islamic Relief’s growth and expansion. He has also led global fundraising and media engagement for major emergencies including the Türkiye-Syria earthquake and Libya floods. Salaheddin became the Interim Director of Global Family Development in 2025.
Salaheddin holds a master’s degree in International Development and is actively involved in several community-led initiatives. He is currently the Vice President of the International Union of Muslim Scouts and Deputy Chair of the UK Muslim Scouts Fellowship as well as Chair of the South Birmingham Muslim Community Association.
Martin Cottingham joined Islamic Relief in 2012 as IRUK Media Relations Manager, and was appointed Head of Communications in 2015 before taking up his current position as Director of External Relations and Advocacy for Islamic Relief Worldwide.
Martin has helped Islamic Relief to increase its mainstream media profile and expand its campaigning work, producing hard-hitting advocacy reports on floods in Pakistan (2011) famine in Somalia (2012) disaster risk reduction (2013) and aid to Afghanistan (2014). He has over 20 years’ experience working in media, communications and marketing roles for international development and environmental charities.
Martin graduated from the University of London with a degree in English and Drama (1982-85) then trained as a journalist with a postgraduate diploma at City University (1986-87). He has previously worked for Christian Aid as Editor of Christian Aid News and Media Relations Manager (1988-97) for Oxfam as Regional Campaigns Manager (1997-2000) and at the Soil Association as Marketing Director (2001-2006), as well as working for a wide range of organisations as a freelance writer, researcher and communications consultant.
Waseem Ahmad joined the Islamic Relief family over 24 years ago, serving as Programme Officer in the Balochistan province of south-western Pakistan before becoming Head of Programmes in Pakistan. Waseem then moved to Oxfam and Tearfund before returning to Islamic Relief to establish our mission in Malawi. Later serving as Head of Programme Funding and Partnerships, Waseem led the response to major crises across the globe, including the East Africa drought, Pakistan earthquake and the Indian Ocean Tsunami.
Waseem then served for nearly 6 years as our Director of International Programmes, during which time the charity secured and retained the coveted Core Humanitarian Standard certification in recognition of the quality of our programming. He was appointed CEO of Islamic Relief in May 2021.
With a special interest in community mobilisation and infrastructure, Waseem received an MSc in Project Planning and Management from the University of Bradford, as well as an MSc in Economics from Arid Agriculture University in Rawalpindi, Pakistan.
Waseem has also worked for Lepra Health in Action and is a member of the International Civil Society Centre’s Board of Trustees. The father-of-3 enjoys walking and playing football, and is a keen birdwatcher.