Sana’a: Nearly 9 years of conflict has left over two-thirds of Yemen’s population (21.6 million people) in the present need of humanitarian assistance. An estimated 4.5 million people are internally displaced. Endemic, violence, a deteriorating economy, mounting food insecurity and recurring disease outbreaks have all but collapsed the country’s health system.
Across Yemen currently, 46% of all health facilities are only partially functioning or completely out of service due to shortages of staff, funds, electricity, medicines, supplies, and equipment.
“Yemen requires urgent and robust support from international donors and other partners to effectively avert the potential collapse of its health system,” Dr Adham Abdel Moneim, WHO Representative in Yemen, said today, ahead of tomorrow’s High-Level Pledging Event for the Humanitarian Crisis in Yemen.
“New funding to the amount of US$ 392 million is required by Yemen’s health sector to ensure that overstretched health facilities can continue providing even the most basic services to 12.9 million of the most vulnerable people,” Dr Moneim said.
The World Health Organization (WHO) together with its Health Cluster partners in Yemen is appealing for US$ 392 million to reach 12.9 million people with essential health assistance in 2023. To date in 2023, funds pledged to the WHO-led Health Cluster equals only 3.5% of the US$ 392 million required to provide even the most basic services to the 12.9 million most vulnerable Yemenis targeted by this year’s United Nations Humanitarian Response Plan (HRP) for Yemen, Dr Moneim disclosed, adding that they include up to 540,000 children under the age of 5 who are otherwise facing severe acute malnutrition, with direct risk of death.
“Unless and until this massive funding gap is reversed, we will not be able to sustain our health emergency interventions in Yemen. We, therefore, call upon donors to continue to support our efforts to provide essential and lifesaving health services to the Yemeni people,” Dr Moneim said.
Underfunding of the Health Cluster in Yemen in 2023 (serving 4812 health facilities, 276 hospitals and specialized centres, 1199 health centres, and 3337 health units) will result in:
- Up to 1000 unsupported health facilities;
- 10 million persons, including 7.9 million children, without needed access to health services;
- 1.1 million children with acute malnutrition facing deteriorating health or death; and
- 2.9 million women of reproductive age lacking maternal, child, and reproductive services.
In 2022, the WHO provided life-saving medical and healthcare services to 12.6 million Yemenis – 62% of last year’s Humanitarian Response Plan (HRP). International funding pledges enabled WHO and 44 Health Cluster partners (including 4 other UN agencies, 39 international and local NGOs, and Yemen’s Ministry of Public Health and Population) to deliver medical equipment, supplies, training and other support to hospitals and health facilities that provided a wide range of vital and often lifesaving services to nearly 7.8 million Yemenis in 2022.
Nevertheless, this level of funding fell far short of addressing identified and urgent health needs of some 12.6 million persons, effectively limiting assistance to only 7.8 million of them.
– global bihari bureau
