Sana’a - A shortfall in funding for the International Organization for Migration (IOM)’s health programming could threaten the availability of health care for more than 500,000 displaced people, migrants and host community members in Ma’rib, the west coast and north of Yemen.  

On World Health Day, IOM is sounding the alarm that if the Organization does not urgently secure USD 5 million, communities already struggling to overcome the effects of eight years of crisis could lose their only source of health care by the start of July. 

Less than half of Yemen’s health facilities are functional – many face staff shortages, inadequate supplies and equipment, and an inability to meet operational costs. 

“IOM’s health teams across the country work tirelessly to serve communities who otherwise would not be able to access primary healthcare services when they fall ill or receive preventive care to keep their families healthy,” said Matthew Huber, Acting Chief of Mission of IOM Yemen. 

Across the country, IOM supports emergency departments, operation rooms, reproductive health and neonatal intensive care units in dozens of facilities that serve migrants, displaced people and host community members.  

This support is critical to preventing the spread of endemic, water-borne and vector-borne diseases, such as malaria and dengue fever, as well as acute diarrheal diseases and malnutrition, especially in displacement sites. 

Last year, over 2.8 million people received services from the Organization’s health programming. These services will significantly scale down in coming months if funds are not secured now. 

“We are encouraging donors to scale up their support so that hundreds of thousands of people do not lose their only access to adequate health services,” Huber added. 

Those most severely affected could be half a million people in conflict affected Ma’rib and tens of thousands of people living in or near displacement sites on the country’s west coast. Among the hardest hit would be pregnant women, children and people living with disability. 

IOM-supported health centres in the north of Yemen are also under threat. These facilities offer the only healthcare available to stranded migrants who suffer from grave abuses and violence on their journeys. 

IOM Yemen’s 2023 appeal requires USD 22 million for its primary and secondary health care interventions by the end of the year. 

For more information, please contact: Angela Wells at IOM Yemen, Email: awells@iom.int, Tel: +967 730 552233 and IOM Yemen’s Communications Team at iomyemenmediacomm@iom.int