HIGHLIGHTS

• Funding shortage is putting at risk critical WHO programmes, including the Minimum Service Package (MSP) and outbreak preparedness and response, potentially affecting millions of people across the country.

• COVID-19 reported cases continue to decline, but indicators suggest that the virus is still spreading, and the number of confirmed cases and deaths fall below actual numbers.

• In addition to the 15 cases that had been detected in Sa'adah Governorate, clusters of acute flaccid paralysis (AFP) cases have been reported in the governorates of Al Jawf, Al Mahaweet and Amran.

• Expanded Program of Immunization (EPI) team in Sana'a has started implementing the first round of Integrated Outreach round in the northern governorates.

• A Dengue fever control campaign was launched in Aden city to ensure protection to the 1.7 million total population of the city.

Situation Update

WHO operations in Yemen at risk due to a lack of funding
While humanitarian needs are increasing in Yemen, a significant gap in funding has worsened the situation further. As of September, WHO has ended the Minimum Service Package (MSP) in 121 facilities, which has affected one million people. This is in addition to 1.3 million people deprived of access to life-saving health care services through the MSP due to cuts to the health sector since April when WHO had to stop incentives payments to more than 1,800 medical staff delivering MSP in 135 facilities. If resources are not provided by the end of the year, a total of nine million people will lose access to basic health care services. In terms of outbreak control and response, if funding is not received by October, preparedness, surveillance and pre-positioning of supplies for outbreak response including diphtheria and dengue will stop across the 23 governorates. Up to 60 per cent of the 174 existing cholera treatment facilities (174 centres) and 100 per cent of the 300 existing preparedness and medical centres (300 facilities) will close. All 333 district rapid response teams will cease to perform core functions, including case investigation and outbreak monitoring. As many as 18 million people will be impacted, including six million children urgently in need of vaccination against deadly diseases like measles and polio. The funding gap is threatening almost all UN humanitarian programmes in Yemen. By the end of September, only $1.3 billion of the $3.2 billion needed in 2020 had been received. Fifteen of 41 major United Nations humanitarian programmes have already been reduced or shut down, and 30 more will be affected in the coming weeks unless additional funding is received.