WHO EMRO – On World Humanitarian Day WHO honours Yemen’s health workers who deliver care against all odds
19 August 2026, Aden, Yemen – On World Humanitarian Day, the World Health Organization (WHO) pays tribute to health workers and humanitarian personnel across Yemen who continue to provide lifesaving care to communities despite years of conflict, severe resource constraints and increasingly difficult operating conditions.
Across the country, doctors, nurses, midwives, vaccinators, surveillance officers, community health workers, ambulance teams and other frontline personnel continue to serve communities every day. Many are affected by the same challenges facing the people they support yet they remain at their posts, treating patients, responding to disease outbreaks, vaccinating children and delivering essential health services.
As Yemen’s health system continues to face immense pressure, their commitment is crucial. Two out of every five health facilities are not functioning or only partially functioning, leaving millions of people at risk of losing access to essential health care.
“On World Humanitarian Day, we honour the extraordinary commitment of Yemen’s health workers and humanitarian personnel who continue to serve their communities under exceptionally difficult circumstances,” said WHO Representative in Yemen Dr Syed Jaffar Hussain. “Health workers must be able to carry out their lifesaving duties safely and without obstruction. Protecting health workers and health facilities is not only about protecting those who provide care – it is about protecting every patient and every community that depends on them.”
WHO continues to work alongside the Ministry of Public Health and Population, health authorities, partners and frontline health workers to sustain essential health services, strengthen disease surveillance and outbreak response, support vaccination and nutrition services, provide medicines and medical supplies and reinforce the resilience of Yemen’s health system.
The ability to sustain these services is increasingly threatened by declining humanitarian funding. At a time when needs remain high, reduced resources are placing essential health programmes under even greater pressure, threatening access to care for the most vulnerable communities.
WHO joins the wider humanitarian community in calling for sustained support for humanitarian action in Yemen and for a safe and enabling environment in which humanitarian and health workers can reach people in need.
This year’s World Humanitarian Day is a reminder that humanitarian and medical personnel must be respected and protected. Attacks, threats, intimidation, obstruction and detention not only endanger humanitarian workers, they disrupt critical services and ultimately affect the communities whose lives depend on them.
WHO stands in solidarity with humanitarian colleagues who remain detained and joins calls for their immediate release.
On World Humanitarian Day, WHO honours those who continue to serve, remembers those who have lost their lives in the service of others, and renews its commitment to stand with Yemen’s health workers and communities.
Protecting health workers means protecting health. Protecting humanitarian action protects lives.
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