The United Nations agency that supports women and girls on the ground (UNFPA) is working across the country to meet urgent reproductive needs. It warns that a combination of malnutrition, limited healthcare and increasing protection risks is putting lives at risk.
“Malnutrition is increasing”
One of the most immediate concerns is food insecurity. “Unfortunately, malnutrition is increasing,” says Francesco Galtieri, the agency’s senior official in Yemen.
The consequences are particularly serious for pregnant women: when they lack adequate nutrition during pregnancy, the risks to the development and health of their babies increase significantly.
Access to healthcare, especially in rural and remote areas, is another critical challenge.
The country has the highest maternal mortality rate in the Arab region and Three women die every day from complications of pregnancy or during childbirth.. About two-thirds of these deaths could be prevented if they had access to a midwife or doctor.
Beyond health, protection from violence is a pressing concern. Conflict and economic hardship have increased risks for women and girls, who are often hardest hit.
Funding cuts cause death
UNFPA-supported safe spaces offer women refuge and a path to recovery, providing psychosocial support, vocational training and economic empowerment initiatives designed to help survivors rebuild their lives.
The agency also provides legal assistance to those seeking justice through Yemen’s legal system.
Despite these achievements, funding cuts are putting programs under great pressure. Mr. Galtieri said UN News that About 40 percent of UNFPA’s humanitarian funding was cut last year, forcing the agency to suspend or stop support for about a third of its services..
In a country with high maternal mortality, reduced services mean that a woman experiencing complications They may not be able to access life-saving care, often resulting in the death of both mother and child..
Protective services have also been affected. This year, UNFPA-supported shelters have been unable to accept new survivors of gender-based violence, and the cuts may have lasting effects on children affected by malnutrition and trauma.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has provided Al-Thawra Hospital in Hudaydah, Yemen, with 30 medical beds, 5 baby radiant warmers and 1 trauma kit.
Healthy debate?
Mr. Galtieri is currently in New York attending meetings of the UNFPA Executive Board, where representatives from conflict-affected areas interact with Member States.
The discussions have highlighted a renewed debate about sexual and reproductive health and rights, a topic he said has not been under so much scrutiny in decades.
“I always wonder why, when a society enters a phase of tension and confrontation, women and girls become the center of that political confrontation,” she says.
Appealing directly to decision makers, Mr Galtieri urges greater investment in essential services such as midwifery.arguing that prioritizing life-saving care over other expenses should not be controversial.
Funding decisions often favor other priorities, despite the clear human cost. In Yemen, he warns, that cost is measured in the lives of women and girls who might otherwise have survived.