06 November 2025, Aden, Yemen – With funding from European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations (ECHO), the World Health Organization (WHO) is scaling up lifesaving trauma and nutrition services in high-risk and conflict-affected districts.
The 12-month project aims to strengthen essential health and livesaving nutrition services and improve access to quality care for vulnerable communities amid an increasingly fragile humanitarian situation.
Expanding emergency and trauma services
Years of protracted conflict and regional hostilities, including continued air strikes, have left Yemen’s health system struggling to cope with the growing number of trauma and emergency cases. To address these gaps, WHO will deploy 6 specialized surgical teams to hospitals in Taiz, Hajjah, Al Hudaydah and Marib, restoring 24/7 emergency trauma and surgical services and the procurement of lifesaving medicines and surgical supplies.
The project will train 100 first responders and emergency health workers on mass casualty incident management, including basic life support, strengthening immediate trauma response closer to the front lines to help ensure access to timely care – within 1 hour after injury – for patients, facilitate referrals and save lives.
In close coordination with the Ministry of Public Health and Population, WHO will also support the establishment of a national emergency medical team framework to improve preparedness during health emergencies and mass-casualty incidents, engaging the 3 levels of the Organization, including the Emergency Medical Team Secretariat at WHO headquarters.
“With ECHO’s support, WHO is saving lives by bringing surgical and trauma care closer to those most in need, bridging a critical gap in Yemen’s health system,” said WHO Representative in Yemen Dr Syed Jaffer Hussain. “The project will help Yemen build national systems and skilled teams capable of responding effectively to future health crises through the establishment of a national emergency medical team framework engaging the 3 levels of the Organization and other stakeholders.”
Protecting children from life-threatening malnutrition
Malnutrition remains one of the leading causes of illness and death among children in Yemen. With ECHO’s support, WHO will sustain and strengthen services in 26 therapeutic feeding centres in priority governorates to treat children suffering from severe acute malnutrition with medical complications.
The intervention also provides transportation support for 488 frontline health workers to ensure they can reach facilities and funds essential operational costs such as meals for caregivers, WASH materials, oxygen and utilities. To ensure service quality and adherence to national treatment standards, WHO will conduct regular mentoring and supervision visits.
“Every child deserves a chance to recover and grow healthy,” said Dr Hussain. “By keeping lifesaving nutrition centres functional we are preventing avoidable deaths and giving families renewed hope.”
Reinforcing the humanitarian health response
The project will reach more than 155 000 people, including displaced families, women and children across 12 governorates, and strengthen coordination under the Health Cluster, co-led by WHO, helping to ensure an effective, equitable and complementary health response nationwide.
WHO continues to work with partners to maintain essential services, train health workers and ensure the availability of lifesaving medicines and supplies in Yemen’s most affected districts.
This intervention is made possible through funding from the European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations (ECHO) which continues to support WHO efforts to sustain essential health and nutrition services and protect the lives of Yemen’s most vulnerable communities.
About WHO
Since 1948, the World Health Organization (WHO) has been the United Nations agency dedicated to advancing health for all, so that everyone, everywhere can attain the highest level of health. WHO leads global efforts to expand universal health coverage, direct and coordinate the world’s responses to health emergencies and connect nations, partners and people to promote health, keep the world safe and serve the vulnerable.
Media contacts
WHO Yemen Communications:
