Aden (South24 Center) 

A coalition of 116 international and local aid organizations warned on Tuesday (May 21) that Yemen is facing what may be its "toughest year" since the conflict began in 2014, with the UN Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan receiving only 10% of the required funding despite nearly five months having elapsed since the year began.

The organizations, including UN agencies, sounded the alarm as the high-level European Humanitarian Forum is being held in Brussels. They stressed that severe funding shortages are forcing cuts to vital aid for millions of people, including women, children, and displaced persons, pushing the country to the "edge of the abyss”.

The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) confirmed these concerns, emphasizing the urgent need for increased support.

This warning coincides with a UN Women’s report revealing catastrophic deterioration in the conditions for women and girls in the aftermath of the intensified airstrikes since early 2025.

The report noted that targeting of critical infrastructure - including Hodeidah Port and Sanaa Airport - has disrupted the deliveries of food, fuel and medicine while destroying health and water facilities, disproportionately affecting women and girls.

The report documented that over 6,000 people were displaced between January and May 2025, with 26% of the households headed by women. It estimated that approximately 2.3 million women and girls are living in situations of internal displacement. It also recorded that more than 400 pregnant or nursing women and 9,600 children have lost access to healthcare due to damage to health facilities. It also noted a rise in gender-based violence.

UN Women described the situation as having reached a "breaking point”, and called for urgent investment in women's safety and dignity.

The humanitarian crisis in Yemen has deepened as previous international aid commitments remain unfulfilled due to donor fatigue, exacerbating Yemen's protracted conflict.

Yemen's humanitarian catastrophe continues unabated despite ongoing peace efforts, with women and children bearing the brunt of the collapsing infrastructure and dwindling aid resources. The situation highlights the urgent need for renewed international attention to what remains the world's worst humanitarian crisis.