WHO EMRO – WHO sounds alarm on critical funding gap for health response in Yemen

Dr Syed Jaffar Hussain greets children outside their family tent at Al-Firdous camp. Photo credits: WHO Yemen

Aden, Yemen — 6 October 2026: As the conflict in Yemen escalates and needs continue to grow, the World Health Organization (WHO) warns that significantly more resources are urgently needed to sustain a scaled-up health response. WHO’s immediate funding requirements have increased from US$9 million to US$31 million. An additional US$700,000 is required for the refugee response in Djibouti. 

As of 2 October 2026, 959 deaths and 4,207 injuries have been reported from 10 governorates in Yemen, according to the Ministry of Health and Population. Almost 198,000 people have been displaced since the escalation began, many of them forced to move more than once, according to the Executive Unit for IDP Camp Management, as of 28 September. An additional 3,800 people have fled to Djibouti.

Women carry drinking water back to their tents at Al-Firdous camp. Water is supplied to parts of the camp through tanks and a well dug by the local authorities. Photo credits: WHO Yemen

“The situation is evolving into a complex emergency, with health needs rising as resources are already severely stretched,” said Dr Syed Jaffar Hussain, WHO Representative in Yemen. “For people with severe injuries, access to trauma care within the first hour can determine whether they survive. Yet trauma stabilization points on the Lahj coast and in Al-Dhale have no partners to operate them. Few agencies are able to provide trauma care, leaving critical gaps along the front lines.”

Health services are struggling to keep pace with growing needs. Roughly half of health facilities in affected governorates in Yemen have no partner support, while critical gaps remain in front-line trauma care and mobile health services. Displaced families are among those most affected. Of the almost 198,000 people displaced, only around 1,250 (less than 1%) have been reached with health services as of last week, leaving many households in Taiz and Lahj without adequate assistance.

Children outside the tents at Al-Firdous camp. Photo credits: WHO Yemen

The current funding shortfall is already having direct consequences. Hospitals are facing shortages of surgical supplies, anaesthetics, blood-bank consumables, and fuel, while routes for delivering essential supplies are becoming slower and more costly. Emergency maternity services have also been suspended in Marib and Ras Al-Arah.

Disease outbreaks are adding complexity to the emergency. Cholera cases have tripled in three weeks, including cases detected in displacement camps. More than 22,000 suspected measles cases and 128 deaths have been reported this year, with measles spreading among unvaccinated displaced children. Cases of dengue and malaria are rising. Malnutrition is also a growing concern among displaced children, with recent screening by mobile teams identifying high levels of both severe and moderate acute malnutrition.

Displaced residents move between the tents at Al-Firdous camp during the morning. Photo credits: WHO Yemen

WHO is preparing to scale up trauma and emergency care, outbreak response, essential health services and supplies in Yemen. As Health Cluster lead, WHO is also coordinating the response and acting as provider of last resort where no partner can deliver. To date, US$3.78 million has been received from the UN Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) and European Union humanitarian aid (ECHO). An additional US$490,000 has been released from WHO’s Contingency Fund for Emergencies (CFE). For the refugee response in Djibouti, US$150,000 has been provided through WHO’s CFE.

Without urgent additional financing, gaps in trauma care, maternal and newborn services, outbreak response, essential medicines and health services for displaced populations will widen. The El Niño season, expected from October 2026, is likely to further exacerbate disease outbreaks and malnutrition.