EU Funding Boosts UNFPA Efforts to Aid Women , Girls in Yemen

Aden — The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) announced that new European Union funding will be used to deliver emergency relief, life-saving reproductive health services, protection, and psychosocial support, stressing that nearly 11 million women and girls in Yemen require some form of humanitarian assistance.

According to UNFPA, the EU contribution will enable the agency to:

Continue providing emergency obstetric care in 10 health facilities in areas of acute need.

Offer protection, legal aid, and psychosocial support in eight safe spaces for women and girls.

Deliver trauma care and mental health services through a specialized center.

The agency emphasized that the EU remains one of its principal humanitarian partners in Yemen. Since 2018, EU financial support exceeding €60 million has allowed UNFPA to reach more than six million people with life-saving services.

Francesco Galtieri, UNFPA’s representative in Yemen, said: “The partnership with the European Union has been essential in ensuring that women and girls in Yemen continue to access health care and protection services, even under the most difficult circumstances.”

Despite this new support, UNFPA noted that it has received only 18% of the $71.9 million required in 2026 to sustain assistance for the most vulnerable women and girls. 

The agency warned that funding shortages could force the closure of health facilities and safe spaces, and potentially halt the rapid response mechanism in the coming months.

UNFPA underscored that as humanitarian needs escalate, continued investment is critical: “Women