30 August 2026, Aden, Yemen The Ministry of Public Health and Population (MoPHP) has launched Yemen's National Health Strategy (NHS) 2026–2030, a unified roadmap to guide the development of the country's health sector during the 2026-2030 period. The Strategy brings together government institutions, United Nations agencies, development partners, non-governmental organizations and the private sector around shared national priorities to improve health outcomes for people across Yemen. The NHS aims to build "a resilient and equitable health system that safeguards essential, high-impact services for all Yemenis, especially the most vulnerable”, with the goal of reducing preventable maternal, neonatal and child mortality, restoring routine immunization and nutrition services, strengthening referral systems, improving access to emergency care and protecting families from unaffordable health costs by 2030.The Strategy marks a shift from responding mainly to the needs of a prolonged emergency towards laying the foundations for recovery and the development of an effective, equitable and sustainable health system. It places Primary Health Care at the centre of this transition, bringing together community engagement, integrated health services with primary care at their core, and action across different sectors.The NHS is built on five strategic pillars:strengthening health services and access to essential medicines;enhancing health security and emergency preparedness;developing and sustaining the health workforce;improving health governance and information systems; andadvancing sustainable and equitable health financing.This comprehensive approach responds to the challenges facing Yemen's health system after years of conflict, economic decline and repeated humanitarian crises. Reduced external financial support has placed additional pressure on an already fragile health system, where many people continue to face difficulties accessing essential health services, alongside health worker shortages, fragile infrastructure, recurrent disease outbreaks and growing financial pressures on families and the health system. The Strategy was developed through an evidence-informed and participatory process led by the Ministry of Public Health and Population, with contributions from national and international partners. WHO provided technical leadership throughout the process, with financial support from the World Bank, contributions from the University of Geneva, and support through the Universal Health Coverage Partnership (UHC-P).MoPHP will lead implementation of the Strategy through a phased approach, starting by strengthening institutions at central, governorate and district levels so they are better able to plan, organize and deliver quality health services. Successful initiatives will be gradually expanded as the health system moves from emergency response towards recovery and longer-term development.Implementation will also focus on finding new ways to mobilize domestic resources, use available resources more efficiently and protect people from unaffordable health costs. Essential health services will be further defined and their quality strengthened, while monitoring and evaluation and stronger donor coordination will help track progress and support implementation. "The National Health Strategy 2026–2030 marks an important milestone in Yemen's journey towards rebuilding a stronger and more resilient health system. By placing primary health care, health security, equity and national leadership at its core, the strategy provides a shared vision for improving the health and well-being of all people in Yemen. WHO remains committed to supporting the Ministry of Public Health and Population and all partners in translating this strategy into tangible improvements in people's lives," said WHO Representative and Head of Mission in Yemen Dr Syed Jaffar Hussain.WHO will continue working closely with the MoPHP, development partners and communities, within its mandate and available resources, to support implementation of the NHS, and contribute to a stronger, more resilient and more equitable health system for the people of Yemen.Media contactsWHO Yemen CommunicationsEmail: mediayemen@who.intAbout WHOFounded in 1948, the World Health Organization (WHO) is the United Nations agency dedicated to promoting health, keeping the world safe and serving the vulnerable. WHO leads global efforts to expand universal health coverage, coordinate responses to health emergencies and advance well-being for all.
 

19 August 2026, Aden, Yemen On #WorldHumanitarianDay, 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.Media contactsWHO Yemen CommunicationsEmail: mediayemen@who.intAbout WHOFounded in 1948, the World Health Organization (WHO) is the United Nations agency dedicated to promoting health, keeping the world safe and serving the vulnerable. WHO leads global efforts to expand universal health coverage, coordinate responses to health emergencies and advance well-being for all.
 

 Aden, Yemen – The Ministry of Public Health and Population (MoPHP), the World Health Organization (WHO) and Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), with support from the Pandemic Fund, have launched a 5-day capacity-building workshop to strengthen laboratory capacity for antimicrobial resistance (AMR) surveillance in Yemen. Implemented within the framework of the National AMR One Health Programme, the workshop will take place from 10 to 14 August 2026 at the Central Public Health Laboratory. It brings together national AMR laboratory focal points and senior laboratory professionals for intensive practical training on the uses of Antibiogo, a digital health tool that supports lab technicians in delivering qualitative, secure and accurate antibiotic susceptibility testing, and  an introduction to WHONET, a tool developed for the management and analysis of microbiology laboratory data with a special focus on the analysis of antimicrobial susceptibility test results.To address the growing public health challenge posed by AMR, reliable laboratory systems need to detect resistance patterns, monitor trends and generate evidence to guide treatment decisions. Standardized and high-quality diagnostic data are essential to strengthening national AMR surveillance. The workshop addresses a key technical challenge in microbiology laboratories: variations in the visual interpretation of disk diffusion zones during antibiotic susceptibility testing.Through hands-on training, participants will strengthen their ability to install, configure and operate Antibiogo; capture and analyse images of laboratory test plates; measure inhibition zones; interpret antibiotic susceptibility results; validate and troubleshoot results and export laboratory data. “Strong laboratory systems are fundamental to protecting people from the growing threat of antimicrobial resistance. By investing in the skills of laboratory professionals and introducing practical digital tools, we can improve the quality of surveillance data and support better-informed treatment and public health decisions across Yemen,” said WHO Representative in Yemen Dr Syed Jaffar Hussain.The 5-day programme combines interactive technical sessions with practical laboratory simulations and applied exercises, enabling participants to work through the full testing process – from preparing the testing environment and capturing images to validating, recording and exporting results. The workshop will also provide participants with an introduction to WHONET and its potential linkage with Antibiogo-generated data. This will lay the groundwork for dedicated WHONET training in the future, further strengthening AMR laboratory data management and surveillance in Yemen.By the end of the training, participating laboratory focal points are expected to be better equipped to standardize antibiotic susceptibility testing interpretation across their facilities, minimize visual interpretation errors and improve the quality and consistency of AMR laboratory data.Through the National AMR One Health Programme, MoPHP, WHO and MSF, with support from the Pandemic Fund, are working together to strengthen Yemen’s laboratory and surveillance capacities and advance a coordinated One Health approach to addressing AMR.Media contactsWHO Yemen CommunicationsEmail: mediayemen@who.intAbout WHOFounded in 1948, the World Health Organization (WHO) is the United Nations agency dedicated to promoting health, keeping the world safe and serving the vulnerable. WHO leads global efforts to expand universal health coverage, coordinate responses to health emergencies and advance well-being for all.
 

At sunrise in the Abyan Delta, farmer Abdulghalib walks through rows of young seedlings, carefully inspecting their leaves.Just a few years ago, fields like this one struggled to survive. Seedlings brought from other governorates were expensive and often weak because they were not properly preserved and were exposed to hard conditions. Inorganic fertilisers damaged the soil. Irrigation depended on costly fuel, and inadequate storage capacity meant that even successful harvests could lose value before reaching the market.Today, Abdulghalib’s crops look different; they’re stronger, healthier, and yielding more.“The seedlings from Abdullah Mashhoor’s nursery are much better than what we used before,” he says. “And the compost changed the way I farm. I no longer buy inorganic fertilisers that harm the land.”His experience reflects a broader transformation taking place across Abyan Governorate, long known as the “food basket” of southern Yemen.Rather than tackling farming challenges one at a time, a new initiative has strengthened the entire agricultural system at once by connecting farmers, suppliers, processors, and markets into a functioning local value chain. The results show a powerful lesson: when every part of the agricultural system improves together, the impact is far greater than the sum of its parts. A system, not a projectPrior to launching the intervention, national partner Small and Micro Enterprise Promotion Service (SMEPS), conducted market assessments and consultations with farmers to understand the obstacles that were limiting their agricultural productivity.The findings showed they were not facing a single problem, but rather a set of interconnected challenges. Imported seedlings were costly and unreliable. Flood irrigation wasted scarce water. Inorganic fertilisers and pesticides damaged the soil health. Access to quality agricultural inputs was limited. And weak post-harvest systems caused losses that were estimated at 26 per cent of production.In response, UNDP in partnership with SMEPS, introduced an integrated model known locally as the “Green Cycle” through the World Bank’s funded Emergency Social Protection Enhancement and COVID-19 Response Project (ESPECRP).The model focused on strengthening the entire agricultural supply chain by supporting local enterprises that provide farmers with seedlings, organic fertilisers, pest management, irrigation technologies, processing services, and market access. Local businesses drive actionAt the centre of this work are local small and medium enterprises (SMEs), many of which expanded their operations through the ESPECRP support.One of them is Bin Mashhoor Nursery, which was founded by agricultural engineer, Abdullah.“With the support we received, we established the nursery from scratch,” he says. “At first farmers were hesitant. But after they saw the results, demand quickly grew.”Since locally produced seedlings are better adapted to Abyan’s climate and soil, they have helped farmers reduce their reliance on imported plants.  Nearby, Al-Joule Women’s Association has become an important supplier of organic compost.Manager Haseenah recalls how the project changed their production process: “Before, it took two or three months for compost to decompose. With the solar-powered shredding machine we received, the materials break down much faster and production has dramatically improved.”The entire facility is powered by a solar energy system, supporting sustainable and efficient production even without reliable electricity. What began as a small association with 58 members has grown to 142 women, expanding their business reach and creating a sustainable income for local families.The nursery and association are not operating in isolation. Compost produced by Al-Joule improves the soil health, while high-quality seedlings from Bin Mashhoor translate that improved soil into stronger yields. By sharing knowledge, resources, and market access, they reinforce each other’s work. Most recently, their partnership enabled them to fulfill a 70-tonne compost order which was valued at USD$12,000. This ecosystem is further strengthened by the role of Al-Bakri Foundation, which has improved access to essential agricultural inputs. By establishing a warehouse and offering farmers flexible credit terms on materials such as drip irrigation systems, pipes, and shade netting, the foundation helps to ensure that farmers can adopt improved practices without prohibitive upfront costs. In doing so, it closes a critical gap between supply and affordability.  A shift toward greener farming practicesRecognising the challenges associated with inorganic pesticides, local entrepreneurs have also begun producing neem oil, a natural pest control solution derived from the seeds of neem trees.    Mill owner, Ali, explains why farmers quickly embraced it: “This product is safe for people, animals, and bees. The neem powder also protects crops from termites.” For farmers like Osama, the difference is visible in the fields: “Since I started using it, pests are much less of a problem. My crops are healthier and production is better than before.” From harvest to marketImproving production was only part of the solution. Farmers also needed better systems to process, store, and transport their crops.Bin Fulais Agricultural Agency received support to expand their seed processing and storage capacity. With modern equipment, the agency increased their output from 500 kilograms per day to nearly 10 tonnes.The Agency’s manager, Mamoun, explains the importance of this step: “We provide farmers with high-quality sesame seeds and connect them with buyers through our marketing network.”  In turn, these improvements have reduced post-harvest losses and helped them to secure better prices in the market. “Our biggest challenge used to be what happened after harvest,” says sesame farmer, Saber. “Now the seeds are cleaned, sorted, and properly stored before going to market.” At the Delta Abyan Food Processing Facility, crops are then packaged and prepared for distribution.Processing standards have been strengthened through the collaboration between Bin Fulais Agricultural Agency and Delta Abyan Food Processing Facility. Bin Fulais handles post-harvest cleaning, sorting, and seed preparation, while Delta Abyan adds value with airtight packaging, and precise weighing, ensuring market-ready products.“Our focus is on quality,” explains facility manager, Ebtesam. “When the product is handled well, farmers’ efforts are rewarded.” These gains are reinforced further along the chain. Fuad, who operates both as a produce distributor and owner of Al-Maqbouli ripening facility, plays a dual role in ensuring crops reach markets in optimal condition. With project support, he replaced a truck that frequently broke down and improved the reliability of products transport.  At the same time, the rehabilitation of his ripening facility has strengthened post-harvest handling by allowing produce to be stored and ripened. “Now we can reach distant markets,” Fuad says, “and deliver products in much better condition.”Solar energy has further stabilised operations across facilities by reducing fuel dependence and enabling more consistent processing and storage. When the system starts to WorkAs these interventions took hold across multiple points in the value chain, the results became visible throughout the agricultural system. Employment in supported SMEs increased by 138 per cent, rising from 47 to 112 formal jobs, including 45 women employed for the first time. Micro-enterprises expanded as well, with permanent employment growing from 11 to 39 workers, alongside a steady rise in daily wage opportunities across rural communities.At the same time, businesses became more productive and profitable. SME annual sales increased by 48 per cent, while net profits rose by 22.6 per cent, reflecting stronger efficiency and improved market access. Micro-enterprises experienced similar gains, with average sales increasing from $21,000 to $36,000.Operational improvements have also strengthened sustainability across the value chain. Production losses declined by 26 percent, while solar energy now accounts for approximately 75 per cent of operational power. As a result, fuel consumption has dropped by 42 per cent, lowering costs while improving reliability.For farmers, these changes translated into meaningful gains. Incomes increased, the quality of crops improved, and the risks associated with farming began to decrease. This marks a clear shift from fragile production to a more stable and resilient agricultural system. Replenishing the food basketBy strengthening multiple parts of the system simultaneously, from seedlings and soil health to processing, logistics, and markets, the Green Cycle approach has helped to rebuild a resilient agricultural economy in Abyan.According to nursery owner, Abdullah Mashhoor, the goal is now long-term stability: “We want farmers to be able to access strong seedlings locally. That way their harvests improve year after year.”Meanwhile, Al-Joule Women’s Association continues to expand opportunities for rural women through producing traditional foods, spices, and natural products for local markets.Across the governorate, farmers, suppliers, processors, and distributors are increasingly connected through a functioning local agricultural system.For a region long known as the “food basket” of southern Yemen, that transformation means more than higher production. It means the fields of Abyan are feeding families, sustaining livelihoods, and anchoring the region’s economic future once again.