The humanitarian crisis in Yemen remains the worst in the world. An estimated 24 million people – over 80 per cent of the population – are in need of some kind of assistance, including 14.4 million who are in acute need –nearly two million people more than in 2018.
The crisis continues to disrupt markets and institutions, destroying social and economic infrastructure, while inequalities rise sharply. Gross domestic product per capita has plummeted from US$3,577 to US$1,950, a level not seen in Yemen since before 1960. Yemen is now ranked as the world’s second most unequal country in the world in terms of income, surging past 100 other countries in inequality levels in the last five years. If fighting continues through 2022, Yemen will rank as the poorest country in the world, with 79 percent of the population living under the poverty line and 65 percent classified as extremely poor.
During September, fighting sporadically escalated in different parts of the country leading to spikes in displacement and civilian casualties. Hotspots included areas in Al Dhale’e, Dhamar and Taizz Governorates in the South, and Hajjah in the northwest. UNFPA's response in these areas include; support to 13 health facilities with emergency obstetric care services in Hajjah, five health facilities in Al Dhale’e, 42 in Hudaydah and 114 in Taizz, with some 51,000 women receiving reproductive health services within these governorates. Clashes in the south Yemen affected aid operations, restricting some operations for several days. Despite this, the UN, including UNFPA staff has remained in place, keeping operations on track. Since the beginning of the year, fighting has displaced more than 350,000 people, while 3.3 million people remain displaced.
Despite funding shortages and access challenges on the ground, UNFPA continues to provide reproductive health and protection services across all of Yemen's 22 governorates. By the end of September, more than 660,000 people were reached with reproductive health services. In addition, multi-sectoral protection services are provide across the country through 88 collective sites, 33 safe spaces and six shelters.
