The United Nations has warned that Yemen’s humanitarian crisis remains on a worsening trajectory, with UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Tom Fletcher telling the Security Council that rising hunger, failing health services and climate pressures are increasing civilian suffering.
“This is OCR’s sixth briefing to this council this year on Yemen and I wish I could report a more positive shift,” Fletcher said, warning that “hunger is rising, health services are crumbling, families have exhausted their last coping mechanisms.”
Key developments:
- More than half of Yemen’s population is facing acute food insecurity, with 6 million people experiencing emergency levels of deprivation.
- Around 5 million women of reproductive age and more than 750,000 pregnant women face limited access to essential healthcare, with four in five lacking lifesaving reproductive services.
- A measles outbreak in Marib has contributed to a wider health emergency, while only one in five health facilities provide maternal care.
- Forecast El Niño conditions could reduce rainfall by 40% in key agricultural areas, worsening food and water insecurity.
Fletcher also highlighted humanitarian access challenges, stating that 73 UN personnel remain detained by Houthi authorities, alongside NGO and civil society workers. He called for their safe release and warned that more than 200 humanitarian access incidents recorded over the past year have restricted aid operations.
The UN official said humanitarian funding shortages were further limiting relief efforts, with the Yemen appeal less than 20% funded despite aid reaching around 3 million people each month.
Fletcher urged donors to provide flexible funding, called on all parties to protect civilians and maintain humanitarian access, and appealed to the Security Council to keep international attention focused on Yemen. He concluded that the country’s resilience “can never be an excuse” for continued suffering, saying Yemenis deserve “dignity, opportunity, and hope.”
ℹ️ UN Web TV
Follow on social media TikTok@tut0ughInstagram@tut0ugh Threads@tut0ugh X@tut0ugh YouTube@tut0ugh
