Note: Single-source report; awaiting corroboration.
The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) is addressing urgent reproductive health needs in Yemen, where women and girls are facing severe impacts from malnutrition, limited healthcare, and increased protection risks due to ongoing conflict and economic hardship. Francesco Galtieri, UNFPA's senior official in Yemen, noted that rising malnutrition rates pose significant dangers, especially for pregnant women and their babies, whose health and development are at risk when maternal nutrition is inadequate.
Access to healthcare remains a major challenge, particularly in rural and remote areas of Yemen. The country reportedly has the highest maternal mortality rate in the Arab region, with about three women dying daily due to pregnancy complications or childbirth. UNFPA states that around two-thirds of these deaths could be prevented if women had access to midwives or doctors.
Beyond health concerns, protection from violence is also a pressing issue. Women and girls face increased risks amid conflict and economic difficulties. UNFPA supports safe spaces that offer psychosocial assistance, vocational training, economic empowerment, and legal aid for survivors seeking justice through Yemen’s legal system.
However, UNFPA's programs are under severe strain due to funding cuts. Around 40% of its humanitarian funding was reduced last year, forcing the suspension or halting of about one-third of its services. These cuts jeopardize life-saving care for women with complications and have resulted in UNFPA-supported shelters being unable to admit new survivors of gender-based violence this year. The cuts are also expected to have long-term effects on children exposed to malnutrition and trauma.
Mr. Galtieri is attending meetings of UNFPA’s Executive Board in New York, where there has been renewed scrutiny and debate around sexual and reproductive health and rights—an uncommon focus for the board in recent decades.