The humanitarian response in Yemen is facing severe strain as international funding dwindles, leaving millions of people at risk of losing access to essential services.
According to the latest update from the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), the 2025 Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan is only 25 per cent funded, forcing aid agencies to scale back operations despite escalating needs across the country.
Health and protection services have been particularly affected. OCHA warned that Yemen’s fragile health system, already weakened by years of conflict and underinvestment, is “on the brink.”
Since January 2025, 453 health facilities across 22 governorates have faced partial or imminent closure, including hospitals, primary health centres and mobile clinics.
The closures come amid widespread food insecurity, malnutrition, unsafe water and sanitation, and recurring outbreaks of preventable diseases.
The funding shortfall has impacted both areas under the internationally recognised Government and those controlled by Houthi authorities, underscoring the nationwide nature of the crisis.
Millions of Yemenis now face reduced access to maternal care, emergency treatment and basic healthcare.
Beyond health, food security and nutrition remain pressing concerns. While humanitarian partners continue to deliver assistance where possible, reduced funding has limited coverage at a time when families are struggling to afford food and recover from climate shocks.
Floods in Marib governorate in 2025 highlighted the potential of shock-responsive cash assistance to help families rebuild quickly, but such interventions require sustained resources that are currently lacking.
Despite the bleak outlook, OCHA emphasised the importance of the Yemen Humanitarian Fund, which has channelled limited resources into priority life-saving interventions.
Community-based projects have also played a role in restoring dignity and resilience for displaced families, though their reach is constrained by the funding crisis.
Yemen’s humanitarian emergency is rooted in more than a decade of conflict between Houthi rebels and the Government of Yemen, following the Houthis’ takeover of the capital, Sanaa, in 2014.
Although large-scale fighting has eased in recent years, tensions remain high and the risk of renewed hostilities persists, threatening fragile gains and deepening humanitarian needs.
OCHA has urged donors to step up support, warning that without urgent funding, further service closures are inevitable, with devastating consequences for Yemen’s most vulnerable communities.
Sources: UN OCHA, Al Jazeera, UN News, Reuters
