Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) contributes GBP 15 million to UNICEF multi-sectoral support in Yemen

Sana’a, 1 September 2023 – The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) of the UK Government has contributed GBP 15 million to help UNICEF enhance its response to the needs of children and women in the areas of health, nutrition, WASH and child protection in Yemen.  

With the contribution, UNICEF aims to improve the health and nutrition status of women and children in 59 priority districts across the six governorates of Abyan, Hodeidah, Dhamar, Hajjah, Lahj and Taiz. The project will sustain primary health care (PHC) support in 301 healthcare facilities to improve equitable and quality access to essential health; nutrition; water, sanitation, and hygiene promotion; and mental health and psychosocial support services and community systems to improve health seeking behaviours of the communities.

UNICEF will also strengthen community health systems (CHS) by supporting community health workers and volunteers to provide basic lifesaving health and nutrition services in rural and hard-to-reach areas.

“ We appreciate the longstanding partnership with FCDO and the people of Yemen in responding the critical and lifesaving health and nutrition needs. Through this contribution we will help improve the health and nutrition conditions of mothers and children by strengthening primary health care and community health systems through an integrated multi-sectoral approach,” said Peter Hawkins, UNICEF Representative to Yemen.

Eight years into the conflict, Yemen remains one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises with 21.6 million people, including 11.1 million children, needing lifesaving humanitarian support. More than 10 million children and close to 5 million women cannot properly access health services in the country, where only half of the health facilities are fully functional.

#####