22 February 2026, Aden, Yemen – Over the past three years, WHO Yemen has led a transformative initiative to strengthen civil society capacity to prevent and respond to sexual exploitation, abuse and harassment (SEAH), embedding accountability, protection and dignity into health and humanitarian service delivery.

Through an integrated approach combining prevention of and response to sexual exploitation and abuse (PRSEAH), gender-based violence (GBV), gender equity and human rights (GER), and mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS), WHO has supported a shift from awareness to institutional change.

In 2024, 56 civil society organizations (CSOs) participated in a national safeguarding working session. In 2025, more specialized trainings expanded engagement to over 60 CSOs, with more than 650 participants trained cumulatively. Importantly, 23 CSOs were supported to develop and institutionalize tailored PRSEAH policies – marking a milestone in strengthening internal accountability systems. Additionally, 69 staff members received bystander intervention training to reinforce proactive prevention.

“For the first time, we understand how to develop and improve our own PRSEAH policy. This has strengthened our credibility with staff and communities,” said a CSO safeguarding focal point in 2025.

These efforts have strengthened governance structures, clarified reporting pathways and increased organizational responsibility across the civil society sector.

Expanding community protection and safer health services

WHO-supported implementing partners expanded PRSEAH awareness at community level across multiple governorates. In 2024 alone, 659 community members (410 women and 249 men) were engaged in PRSEAH-focused activities, while 229 partner staff were trained on SEAH prevention.

Parallel efforts focused on strengthening protection within health facilities. Throughout 2024–2025, dozens of facilities established confidential, survivor-centred reporting mechanisms, reinforcing professional conduct and early risk identification.

As health workers became better equipped to respond safely and appropriately to disclosures, facilities reported greater confidence among communities – particularly women and vulnerable groups – in seeking care.

In just three years, WHO Yemen and its partners have laid the foundation for safer, more accountable systems. Continued investment in civil society leadership and safeguarding mechanisms remains essential to sustain trust, uphold dignity and ensure protection across Yemen’s health response.

18 February 2026  – In 2025, between March and October, as conflict intensified across Yemen, repeated air and naval strikes placed immense pressure on health facilities in Sana’a, Hodeida, Taiz and other affected governorates. Hospitals experienced a surge in trauma cases, critical shortages of essential medical supplies and disruptions to emergency referral services – severely constraining access to life-saving care for communities caught up in the violence.

In response, the World Health Organization (WHO) rapidly scaled up its emergency response to sustain critical health services across the country. It delivered more than 3210 metric tons of essential medical supplies, including intravenous fluids, trauma emergency surgical kits, interagency emergency health kits, blood bags and laboratory reagents to major hospitals nationwide. These supplies enabled health facilities to continue emergency surgeries, blood transfusions and essential diagnostic services during peak periods of need.

To further reinforce emergency care, WHO provided support to 12 surgical teams across 8 governorates and strengthened referral pathways by funding the operation of 13 ambulances in Sana’a, Hodeida and Taiz. In parallel, 432 health workers were trained in mass casualty management and basic life support, while a 1-year national emergency medical teams framework was developed to strengthen coordinated emergency response.

Following further escalation in the southern governorates in December 2025, WHO delivered an additional 2.8 metric tons of trauma and emergency health kits, supporting 1900 surgical interventions and care for 20 000 patients. WHO also provided fuel to 11 health facilities in Hadramout, ensuring the continuity of life-saving services amid power disruptions.

“WHO’s support has enabled our surgical team to provide better care to patients arriving with severe trauma or in critical condition. Despite ongoing challenges and shortages, this support allows us to save lives every day. With continued investment in medicines, equipment and trained staff, we can strengthen this emergency centre and ensure life-saving care for the community,” says Dr Abduljaleel Hasan, an anaesthesia technician with the surgical emergency team Al-Thawra Hospital in Taiz.

As conflict persists and needs continue to rise, protecting Yemen’s health system is a life-saving imperative. Sustained, flexible funding is urgently needed to keep hospitals functioning, maintain emergency referral services and ensure health workers can respond swiftly to future escalations and save lives.

The medical team at Al-Thawra Hospital performs a surgical operation. Credit: WHO Yemen/2025

Protecting health amid floods and disease risks

In August 2025, heavy rains and flash flooding swept across 10 governorates in Yemen, compounding an already fragile humanitarian situation and sharply increasing public health risks. Floodwaters damaged infrastructure, displaced families and created conditions conducive to the spread of water-borne and vector-borne diseases, placing severe pressure on overstretched health facilities struggling to meet rising needs.

In response, the World Health Organization (WHO) rapidly mobilized life-saving support to sustain essential health services and prevent secondary health emergencies. WHO supported major hospitals with 136 metric tons of essential medicines and medical supplies, 108 units of critical medical equipment and 139 810 bottles of intravenous fluids, enabling health facilities to provide timely treatment for 27 762 patients affected by injuries, acute illnesses and complications linked to flooding.

To mitigate the heightened risk of disease outbreaks, WHO strengthened entomological surveillance and supported preventive interventions, including the provision of malaria and dengue medicines, rapid diagnostic tests and insecticides for indoor residual spraying and larvicidal campaigns in high-risk areas. These measures helped reduce transmission risks and supported early detection and response to priority diseases.

As climate-related emergencies continue to increase in frequency and severity, sustained and predictable support remains critical to protect lives, prevent outbreaks and strengthen Yemen’s capacity to anticipate, withstand and respond to future climate shocks.

Floodwaters inundate a residential area in Yemen, leaving standing water and debris that pose health and safety risks for affected communities. Credit: WHO Yemen/2025

Strengthening disease surveillance and outbreak response

Amid fragile health conditions, WHO strengthened Yemen’s capacity to detect, prevent and respond to  recurrent disease outbreaks during the year. WHO provided technical and operational support to disease surveillance and rapid response teams, including 1974 rapid response kits, enabling 1565 staff at central, governorate and district levels to verify alerts, investigate outbreaks and deliver early response interventions. WHO also supported the Electronic Integrated Disease Early Warning System and sentinel sites nationwide to strengthen epidemiological data collection and verification.

To improve cholera case management, WHO supported the operation of 27 diarrhoea treatment centres, managing more than 56 600 severe cholera cases, and trained 781 health workers on integrated outbreak case management.

“At the peak of the cholera outbreak, WHO’s support allowed us to treat severe cases quickly and effectively,” says Dr Saleh Al-Dobahi, technical supervisor at Al-Saddaqa Hospital, Aden. “With the medicines, supplies and training provided, we were able to save lives that would otherwise have been lost.”

WHO further strengthened outbreak prevention through supporting Yemen’s first national risk communication and community engagement strategy and oral cholera vaccination campaigns that reached over 3 million people. As disease threats persist, sustained and flexible funding is critical to maintain surveillance, rapidly contain outbreaks and protect lives across Yemen.

Photo caption: A cholera patient receiving care from medical staff. Credit: WHO Yemen/2025

Strengthening emergency preparedness

To strengthen Yemen’s preparedness for public health emergencies and emerging disease threats, WHO enhanced integrated, multisectoral coordination through the One Health approach, while reinforcing public health emergency operations centres (PHEOCs). WHO provided technical support to activate multisectoral One Health coordination mechanisms, strengthening core International Health Regulations (IHR) and Performance of Veterinary Services (PVS) capacities, with a focus on surveillance, laboratories and workforce development. The activation of the Zoonotic Diseases Technical Committee further improved early warning and information sharing among health, veterinary and environmental stakeholders.

In parallel, WHO supported emergency coordination by building the capacity of 33 national professionals on incident management through PHEOCs and initiated preparations for training on electronic public health emergency management to strengthen emergency reporting and event-based surveillance systems.

As health threats become increasingly complex and interconnected, sustained investment in coordinated preparedness systems is essential to protect communities, detect risks early and ensure rapid, effective responses to future public health emergencies in Yemen.

One Health workshop on information-sharing mechanisms for zoonotic diseases. Credit: WHO Yemen/2026

Strengthening laboratory and blood bank services

To enhance disease detection and ensure life-saving diagnostic and transfusion services, WHO strengthened public health laboratories and blood banks across Yemen during 2025.

WHO fully equipped 12 laboratories with essential diagnostic machinery, reagents, media and consumables, as well as integrated solar power systems to ensure uninterrupted laboratory operations amid chronic power disruptions. Field assessments were also completed to support the upgrading of general laboratories in Socotra and Al-Baidha governorates to full central public health laboratory status.

Supplies were secured for the specialized diagnosis of cholera, diphtheria, dengue and other respiratory and arboviral threats, including molecular tests, culture media and antimicrobial sensitivity testing kits. Capacity for water and food testing was strengthened to address the underlying drivers of recurrent outbreaks.

In parallel, WHO ensured a continuous supply of blood bags and consumables to blood banks, supporting trauma care and emergency surgeries.

“Strengthening laboratory and blood bank capacity is fundamental to early detection and effective response to health threats,” says Dr Wahid Al-Bakhishi, General Director of  central public health laboratory in Aden. “WHO’s support has significantly improved our ability to deliver reliable diagnostics and life-saving services, even under extremely challenging conditions.”

WHO also supported the capacity-building of 240 laboratory professionals, including in the use of digital systems. Sustained investment is essential to safeguard surveillance systems, sustain critical services and protect lives across Yemen.

Blood samples being processed for testing. Credit: WHO Yemen/2025

Saving lives where care must not stop

During 2025, WHO provided a direct lifeline support of essential utilities to the referral health facilities across Yemen, ensuring continuity of life-saving care. This included the delivery of approximately 3.96 million liters of medical oxygen to 52 health facilities in northern governorates, supporting the treatment of critically ill patients and emergency cases. To sustain facility operations and power generators for essential medical equipment, WHO supplied around 4.33 million liters of fuel to 177 health facilities nationwide (129 in the north and 48 in the south). In parallel, to strengthen infection prevention and control and maintain a safe care environment, WHO delivered approximately 41.27 million liters of safe water to 68 health facilities.

The health facilities supported through this intervention constitute a critical backbone of Yemen’s healthcare infrastructure. Collectively, they serve a catchment population of more than 20 million people across all governorates, providing a substantial level of clinical capacity, including approximately 12,000 inpatient beds, 1,079 ICU beds, and 1,011 nursery units. This scale highlights the powerful multiplier effect of the intervention: by ensuring the continuous operation of these strategically important facilities, WHO’s support for essential utilities safeguarded sustained access to both advanced and routine medical care for millions of Yemen’s most vulnerable people. The provision of fuel, safe water, and medical oxygen was the essential catalyst that enabled these facilities to sustain their life-saving functions. This foundational support translated directly into uninterrupted access to care for an estimated five million vulnerable people during the reporting period. Continued facility operations made it possible to deliver more than 6,744,736 medical consultations, safely admit and treat over 341,186 inpatients, and perform approximately 115,664 surgical procedures. Crucially, this support protected maternal and newborn survival, enabling 43,352 caesarean sections (CS) and allowing more than 100,000 mothers to give birth safely in functioning health facilities. From routine consultations to complex emergency interventions, every service depended on the continuous functioning of these health facilities, made possible through WHO’s support, demonstrating how this targeted support safeguarded human dignity and saved lives at scale. 

Health Cluster Coordination 

Despite the defunding caused by the withdrawal of the US donors from the start of the year, the Health Cluster was able to advocate for funding from other sources, including the Yemen Humanitarian Fund (YHF), and receive nearly half (47.8%) of the financial requirements under the HNRP 2025, i.e., $125.3M out of $262M. 

This allowed around 50 cluster partners to reach nearly 4.8 million affected and vulnerable people nationwide - including women of childbearing age, children, the elderly and people with disabilities - with lifesaving primary and secondary healthcare services. 

The Cluster played a vital role in the response to the floods that affected several portions of the country during mid-late 2025 through provision of medicines/supplies to partners, coordination with authorities and advocacy with OCHA and donors.

This is in addition to the coordination of the cholera response between the MoH and partners, including through integrating the mapping of DTCs/ORCs and other partner response into the Health Custer Response Monitoring Dashboard for 2025

18 February 2026, Aden, Yemen – A two-day national consultative workshop was convened in Aden to conduct Yemen’s State Party Self-Assessment Annual Reporting (SPAR) for 2025, in line with the International Health Regulations (2005) (IHR). With support from the Pandemic Preparedness and Response Project (PPRP), funded by the Pandemic Fund, the workshop brought together key national stakeholders to collectively assess the country’s readiness to prevent, detect, and respond to public health threats. The initiative strengthened collaborative engagement, promoted national ownership, and reinforced the transparency of the reporting process.

Group photo of participants at the SPAR 2025 workshop in Aden, strengthening Yemen’s health security efforts. Photo credit: WHO Yemen/Nesma Khan

Building on the findings of the 2024 SPAR submission, the workshop provided a structured platform for a comprehensive, multisectoral self-assessment using the official WHO SPAR tool. Participants reviewed progress achieved, examined existing gaps and agreed on priority actions to further strengthen Yemen’s health security system.

Emphasizing the importance of national leadership and cross-sectoral collaboration, Dr Entesar Jaber,  Deputy Assistant for Primary Health Care and the IHR-NFP at the Ministry of Public Health and Population, highlighted the value of the SPAR process for strengthening preparedness. “The SPAR assessment is not merely a reporting obligation,” she noted. “It is a critical opportunity for Yemen to reflect on its collective capacities, identify priority gaps and agree on concrete actions across sectors to better prevent, detect and respond to public health emergencies. The consensus achieved during this workshop demonstrates a strong national commitment to safeguarding public health.”

Technical groups review evidence and score Yemen’s core IHR capacities. Photo credit: WHO Yemen/Nesma Khan

The workshop opened with plenary sessions introducing the SPAR 2025 methodology, indicators and scoring system, alongside a review of the 2024 results and recent amendments to the IHR. Facilitated technical working groups then examined evidence across all IHR core capacities, including surveillance, laboratories, health emergency management, infection prevention and control, risk communication and community engagement, points of entry, zoonotic diseases, food safety, chemical events and radiation emergencies.

Participants used structured discussions to assess current capacities, verify documentation, and reach consensus on evidence-based scores for each SPAR indicator. The process highlighted strong multisectoral collaboration essential for health emergency preparedness and response.

Key stakeholders from government ministries, public health institutions, laboratories, points of entry, emergency response agencies, and security and civil defense sectors participated actively, with WHO supporting the process through technical expertise and facilitation.

Dr Entesar Jaber highlights national leadership and multisectoral collaboration to strengthen health security. Photo credit: WHO Yemen/Nesma Khan

By the end of the workshop, participants agreed on SPAR 2025 scores across all technical areas and documented the evidence underpinning each score. Key gaps, challenges and best practices were identified, alongside priority actions to guide future IHR capacity-strengthening efforts. A draft SPAR 2025 assessment report was compiled for final review by the national IHR focal point and subsequent submission in accordance with global reporting timelines.

This consultative process marks an important step in strengthening Yemen’s national health security, promoting coordinated action across sectors, and ensuring sustained progress in implementing the IHR.

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