U.S. Food Aid to Yemen Fuels Khat Boom, Undermining Local Farming

Since 2016 the United States has provided between $800 million and $1.5 billion a year in aid to Yemen, including a 2018 shipment of 385,000 metric tons of soft white wheat. While intended to alleviate hunger, the free grain depresses local grain prices, pushing farmers toward khat, a stimulant leaf classified as a Schedule I substance in the U.S. Khat cultivation uses about 37 percent of Yemen’s water and yields profits ten to twenty times higher than most food crops.

Researchers link a 40 percent rise in khat planting since 2014 to subsidies for cash crops and expanded road networks, which together make the drug more attractive despite rising diesel costs. The shift contributes to the 18.3 million Yemenis now facing acute food insecurity, as aid funds are stretched and only a fraction of the $2.16 billion requested for 2026 humanitarian relief has been secured.