UN: A woman dies every 2 hours during pregnancy or childbirth in Yemen

A woman dies every two hours during pregnancy or childbirth in Yemen as a result of their inability to access the necessary healthcare, the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) warned yesterday.

Marking World Population Day, UNFPA said on X that Yemen suffers from high rates of preventable maternal deaths.

⚠️#Yemen suffers high rates of preventable maternal deaths.
⚠️A woman dies every 2 hours during pregnancy or childbirth.
⚠️About 5.5 M women have limited or no access to reproductive health.
⚠️6 out of 10 births occur without a skilled midwife.#WorldPopulationDay2024 pic.twitter.com/vcVgBMHMv5

— UNFPA Yemen (@UNFPAYemen) July 17, 2024

It noted that “approximately 5.5 million women have limited or no access to reproductive health services,” while “6 out of 10 births occur without a skilled midwife.”

On 10 July, the Yemeni government announced a reduction of around  70 per cent in international funding for the health sector, urging regional and international organisations to provide sustainable support for the health sector to ensure the continued provision of essential services and to overcome this difficult period.

For nearly two years, Yemen has been experiencing a lull in a war that began over nine years ago between forces loyal to the internationally-backed government, supported by an Arab military coalition led by neighbouring Saudi Arabia, and the Houthi forces, backed by Iran, who have control over major provinces and cities including the capital, Sanaa.

According to the United Nations, the war has destroyed most sectors in Yemen, particularly the health sector, and caused one of the world’s most catastrophic humanitarian crises.

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