Aid agencies expand emergency response across yemen with EU support 

The situation in Yemen remains highly volatile, with more than 18 million facing acute food insecurity. Civilians continue to bear the brunt of the crisis, as persistent security tensions, economic deterioration, and recurring population displacement further exacerbate humanitarian needs across the country.

“Today in Yemen, more than 2.2 million children under the age of five are suffering from acute malnutrition. Health and nutrition services have been among the sectors hit the hardest by the funding cuts last year, leaving millions of people with reduced access to essential care”, highlights Daniel Nyabera, ACF Country Director in Yemen.

“Through the HAYAT Consortium, we are combining our expertise and operational reach to deliver life-saving services to communities most in need across Yemen. Supported by the European Union, this initiative will not only address urgent humanitarian needs but also strengthen preparedness and resilience in the face of evolving crises” adds Camille Saulnier, PUI Country Director in Yemen.

“By bringing together international and national organisations with complementary experience and capacities, the HAYAT Consortium helps ensure that assistance is informed by local realities, reaches communities most in need, and contributes to strengthening local humanitarian response capacities,” says Victor Moses, Country Director for Concern Worldwide in Yemen.

United under the HAYAT* Consortium, the organizations will support 64 health facilities and their catchment communities in the governorates of Hajjah, Hodeidah, Raymah, Taiz, Lahj, and Abyan, aiming to reach over 448,000 people. Support will include treatment for malnutrition, healthcare services, safe water and sanitation, and psychosocial support for children and caregivers. The program will also strengthen health facilities and restore water supply systems where necessary.

“This partnership will ensure the timely importation and delivery of critical health and nutrition supplies, including RUTF (Ready-to-Use Therapeutic Food), milk, and essential medicines. It will strengthen the ability of health services to provide quality care and lifesaving treatment for children who suffer from severe malnutrition”, adds Daniel Nyabera. 

“With this new contribution, the EU is strengthening health, mental health and psychosocial support across northern and southern Yemen, amid a sharply deteriorating crisis. As a principled donor, the EU values its partnership with the HAYAT Consortium upholding humanitarian principles in perilous circumstances. The resumption of hostilities calls for an urgent and stronger response from all funding partners to address the growing needs of people in Yemen,” said Daniela D’Urso, Head of Office of the European Union Humanitarian Aid Office in Yemen. 

The regional conflict, and especially uncertainty regarding commercial shipping in the Red Sea have intensified trade disruptions across the region. The resulting increase in transportation and commodity costs is disproportionately affecting vulnerable households, fishing communities, and coastal populations in Yemen, where 22 million people require humanitarian assistance to survive. 

Contact for media queries:  

Ana-Lina Thoueille, athoueille@actioncontrelafaim.org  

*HAYAT Consortium:  

The Health & Nutrition Alliance for Yemen’s Affected Households (HAYAT) consortium brings together Action Against Hunger (ACF), Première Urgence Internationale (PUI), Concern Worldwide, Yemen Family Care Association (YFCA) and Generation Without Qat (GWQ). Funded by the European Union, the HAYAT Consortium delivers integrated health and nutrition services, with mental health and psychological support, and water, sanitation, and hygiene services to the most vulnerable communities. 

• Action Against Hunger (ACF): ACF has been working in Yemen since 2012 and is currently operating in four governorates across the country, including Abyan, Al Hudaydah, Lajh, and Hajjah. Action Against Hunger’s response in Yemen focuses on addressing both the immediate and underlying causes of malnutrition through integrated health and nutrition interventions along with water, sanitation, and food security services. 

• Première Urgence Internationale: Première Urgence Internationale has been present in Yemen since 2007, assisting the most vulnerable populations in conflict-affected areas, which suffer from disease outbreaks and acute malnutrition. PUI supports the primary health system in the most vulnerable areas of Hodeidah, Hajjah, Raymah (North), Lahj, and Taizz governorates. 

• Concern Worldwide: Concern commenced operations in Yemen in 2023 and works with communities affected by conflict, displacement, disease outbreaks, and climate-related shocks. Concern’s programmes focus on meeting urgent humanitarian needs through integrated health, nutrition, water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH), emergency response, and strategic priorities to build community resilience, strengthen local systems, and support livelihoods and economic empowerment. Concern works directly and in partnership with national and local NGOs, currently supporting vulnerable communities in Taiz, Lahj, and Hajjah Governorates. 

EU Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid: The European Union and its Member States are among the world’s leading donors of humanitarian aid. Relief assistance is an expression of European solidarity with people in need all around the world. It aims to save lives, prevent and alleviate human suffering, and safeguard the integrity and human dignity of populations affected by disasters and human-induced crises. Through the Directorate General for European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations of the European Commission, the European Union helps millions of victims of conflict and disasters every year. With headquarters in Brussels and a global network of field offices, the EU provides assistance to the most vulnerable people on the basis of humanitarian needs.