The 26th of March 2018 marked the third anniversary since the escalation of the conflict in Yemen, which has left over three fourths of the population in need of some kind of humanitarian assistance or protection. Speaking on the day, the UN Secretary- General urged all parties to abide by their obligations under international humanitarian law to protect civilians and civilian infrastructure against attack, and stressed that that military escalation is not the solution. The new UN Special Envoy to Yemen, Martin Griffith, assumed office and visited Sana'a in March 2018, where discussions were held with political parties to work towards an inclusive political process.
The Yemen Humanitarian Response Plan (YHRP) is 9.8 per cent funded with U$ 291.4 million received against the overall requirements of $2.96 billion as of 27 March 2018. An additional $62.7 million has been mobilized outside the framework of the YHRP.
Access constraints remains a major constraint for the overall humanitarian response in Yemen, including for UNFPA, with constraints reported in 90 per cent of districts. Armed conflict remains one of the main drivers of access constraints, both in terms of the type and severity of access difficulties.
As of end March 2018, UNFPA's response in Yemen, has reached nearly 24,000 people with reproductive health services and services for some 4,000 survivors of gender-based violence. With
increased donor support, plans are underway to expand UNFPA's presence at the governorate and district level in the north and south of the country.