In April, talk of the humanitarian catastrophe unfolding in Yemen was dominated by warnings that a military offensive on the port city of Hodeidah could induce famine. However, according to the World Food Programme, there are indications famine is already occurring in some of the hardest-hit districts, masked by governorate-level statistics. On the political front, UN Envoy Ismail Ould Cheikh said in late April he is “a bit optimistic” efforts to steer the parties away from confrontation in Hodeidah could lead to the resumption of peace talks by the end of May, although no concrete steps in that direction have yet been announced. The military operation to retake the Red Sea coast progressed slowly throughout April, as forces aligned to President Hadi and the coalition sought to stabilize coastal areas of Taiz and capture the Khalid Bin Waleed military base further inland. Despite several obstacles, senior military officials in the Hadi administration continue to assert their intent to capture Hodeidah port.
