Sana’a, 7th September 2023 – UNFPA, the United Nations Population Fund welcomes the generous contribution of US$ 8.4 million from the Kingdom of Netherlands to provide life-saving emergency reproductive health medicines and supplies across Yemen in the next two years.

The health system in Yemen has cratered; less than half of Yemen’s hospitals remain functional and only 1 in 5 of the functioning facilities is able to provide maternal and child health services. Essential reproductive health medicines and family planning methods are often out of stock, compelling women and young people to purchase from the open market. This lack of access to maternal and new-born life-saving medicines, including family planning methods, puts the lives of women and young people at significant risk.

“The Kingdom of Netherlands has been a development partner of Yemen for over 40 years” said Marieke Wierda, Dutch Deputy Ambassador and Head of Development Cooperation to Yemen. “We are committed to improving the health of women and girls, especially their reproductive health. This contribution to UNFPA will ensure the availability of critical reproductive health commodities and life-saving supplies across the country and will stimulate demand for reproductive health services with a focus on adolescents and youth.”

The new contribution will support the procurement of contraceptives and life-saving medicines that are needed to prevent major causes of maternal and new-born deaths in Yemen. It will also help to strengthen the supply chain and logistical systems that are needed to improve reproductive healthcare in the country. In addition, the contribution will help to identify and address the reproductive health needs of married young people.

The Kingdom of Netherlands has been a long-standing partner in ensuring reproductive health commodity security in Yemen; contributing to the reduction in stock-outs of essential reproductive health medicines and helping to reach nearly a million women with family planning.

“A woman dies every two hours during childbirth in Yemen from causes that are almost entirely preventable, said Enshrah Ahmed, UNFPA’s Representative to Yemen. This is a tragic consequence of the lack of access to reproductive health services and supplies. We extremely value our strategic partnership with the Kingdom of Netherlands in supporting our efforts to reduce maternal and new-born deaths and unwanted pregnancies across the country.”

UNFPA is the single source of essential reproductive health medicines for Yemen at present, and provides over 90 per cent of the contraceptives used in public facilities throughout the country.

UNFPA also leads coordination and provision of women’s protection services across the country. To keep reaching the most vulnerable women and girls, UNFPA requires US$70 million in 2023. To date, only 46 per cent of this funding has been received.

UNFPA, the United Nations Population Fund, delivering a world where every pregnancy is wanted, every childbirth is safe and every young person’s potential is fulfilled.