Sana’a/Aden, 31 May 2023 – UNFPA, the United Nations Population Fund welcomes a contribution of US$ 900,000 from the Yemen United Nations Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) to assist the most vulnerable women and girls with life-saving reproductive health services in Al Hudaydah, Hajjah and Taizz Governorates, complementing efforts of UN agencies in addressing food insecurity and malnutrition in these governorates.

Women and girls in Yemen continue to bear the brunt of the crisis. Yemen has one of the highest maternal death rates in the region, with less than half of births being assisted by skilled medical personnel and only one in five of the health facilities that remain providing maternal and child health services. Over 1.5 million pregnant and breastfeeding women are projected to experience acute malnutrition sometime in the course of 2023. They risk giving birth to newborns with severe stunted growth, and nursing malnourished infants, as a result of rising food insecurity.

The new funding will help UNFPA to reach more than 50,000 women and girls with lifesaving reproductive health services within the next six months. The funding will support eight health facilities and two mobile clinics across six districts and include the provision of emergency reproductive health kits, maternal medicines and improved referrals for complicated pregnancies and women in need of protection services. In addition, cash assistance will be provided to vulnerable women to allow them to access reproductive health and protection services.

 “An estimated 5.5 million women and girls of childbearing age in Yemen have limited or no access to reproductive health services. They require urgent support.” said Enshrah Ahmed, UNFPA Representative to Yemen. “We thank UN CERF for this timely contribution, as women’s reproductive health interventions in Yemen remain severely underfunded.”

UNFPA is the sole provider of essential life-saving reproductive health medicines in Yemen and leads coordination and provision of women’s reproductive health and protection services across the country. To keep reaching the most vulnerable women and girls, UNFPA requires US$70 million in 2023. To date, only 13 per cent of this funding appeal has been received.