HIGHLIGHTS OF THE MONTH
Yemen remains the world’s worst humanitarian crisis. The cumulative impact of more than five years of conflict, economic decline and institutional collapse has left 24 million people – about 80 per cent of the population – in need of humanitarian aid and protection. Millions of Yemenis who depend on aid for survival are now hanging by a thread as humanitarian agencies, including UNFPA, run out of money to fund lifesaving assistance, while humanitarian needs continue to grow.
More than $3.2 billion is required for the Yemen humanitarian response in 2020. At the High-Level Pledging Event in Riyadh held on 2 June, donors pledged only US$1.35 billion of the $2.41 billion needed to cover essential humanitarian activities between June and December, leaving a gap of more than $1 billion. With only $558 million provided so far, the aid operation is on the brink of collapse. The situation compares unfavourably with this stage in 2019, when $2.6 billion had been received for the aid operation. Without funding, the aid operation is expected to shrink further in August; 19 million people will lose access to healthcare, including pregnant women and children.
UNFPA’s appeal for $100.5 million in 2020 has received only 52 per cent thus far; forcing UNFPA to suspend 80 per cent of its reproductive health programme in May. The UNFPA-led Rapid Response Mechanism will stop by August if more funding does not become available in the coming weeks. UNFPA requires $68.4 million for the humanitarian and COVID-19 response up to the end of the year.
COVID-19 continued to spread rapidly and with deadlier consequences in Yemen. Between 10 April, when the first COVID-19 case was reported, and 30 June, the authorities announced 1,132 cases, 305 deaths, and 432 recoveries. About 25 per cent of Yemenis confirmed to have the disease have died, 5 times the global average. UNFPA is a frontline partner to the COVID-19 response ensuring the protection of health workers and women and girls accessing reproductive health services.
Despite limited funding, UNFPA's reached over a million women with lifesaving reproductive health and protection services within the last six months.