Yemen Humanitarian Crisis: UN Briefing on Urgent Needs and Obstacles

Escalating Humanitarian Needs in Yemen

• ⚠️ Half the population, totaling 22.3 million people, will require humanitarian assistance this year, an increase of 2.8 million from last year.
• 🌍 Yemen faces the region's most severe hunger crisis, with over 18 million people experiencing acute food insecurity.
• 📈 5.5 million people are in IPC Phase 4 emergency food security conditions or above, the largest number globally.

Strain on Health and Disease Outbreaks

• 🏥 Approximately 40% of health facilities are non-functional or at risk of closure due to funding shortfalls.
• 🤰 Access to essential maternal and reproductive health services is increasingly restricted, disproportionately affecting women and girls.
• 🦠 The crisis is marked by a rise in preventable diseases and low immunization coverage, with significant measles and cholera outbreaks.
• 📉 Over 2.2 million children under five are acutely malnourished, and nearly half are stunted, with wasting rates among the world's worst.

Operational Challenges and Interference

• 🚫 De facto authorities have entered UN offices without permission, commandeering equipment and vehicles.
• ✈️ Clearances for UN Humanitarian Air Service flights have been withheld, causing month-long suspensions.
• 🧑‍⚖️ The detention of 73 UN staff and dozens of others by de facto authorities profoundly impacts humanitarian operations.

Humanitarian Response and Funding Gaps

• 🤝 Despite challenges, humanitarian partners delivered aid to over 5 million people, provided 3.3 million medical consultations, and treated over 330,000 children for severe acute malnutrition in 2025.
• 💰 The humanitarian appeal was funded at only 28.5%, forcing difficult choices and scaling back of operations.
• 🆘 A critical juncture requires immediate action to prevent a return to devastating levels of hunger and disease.

Call to Action and Future Efforts

• 🤝 Donors, UN agencies, and NGO partners will convene to refine aid delivery amidst growing limitations.
• 🌍 Operations are being reorganized, with partners assuming a greater share of the workload.
• 📢 The UN urges the council to support efforts, maintain engagement to secure the release of detained personnel, ensure humanitarian protection, and fund the response to prevent further deterioration.