Palais Des Nations – Geneva, 19 January 2026 Moderator (Alessandra)Good morning. Welcome. Sorry, for the waiting, and thank you very much for being with us at this press conference on the humanitarian situation in Yemen and the work of the UN. We have the great pleasure to have with us Julien Harneis, the UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator for Yemen. As usual, Mr. Harneis will deliver some introductory remarks, and then we will have time for questions and answers. I would also like to welcome the journalists who are currently online.
So, Julien, you have the floor first.
Julien HarneisYeah. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you very much, and- and thank you for your patience. I don’t get out of Yemen much, so it took me a little while to find the room.
I’ve just come from Aden, two days ago. I thought it was particularly important to meet with the media to talk about the situation there and to have an exchange with you. You are part of our world, and I really want to have a conversation.
Now, the context in Yemen is very, very concerning humanitarian-wise.
Last year, we had 19.5 million people in need, and the Humanitarian Response Plan was only 28% financed. We are expecting things to be much worse in 2026.
Why? The way that economic and political decisions are playing out, the situation of food insecurity is only getting worse across all parts of the country, but particularly on the Tihama, along the Red Sea.We’re seeing that playing out into malnutrition. And the health system, which has been supported by the United Nations with the World Bank for 10 years now—will see a major change: the health system is not going to be supported in the way it has been in the past.
That is going to have major consequences, because the government and the authorities in Sana’a do not have the capacity to support the health system—to finance the health system.
And therefore, in a country which has already seen the highest rates of measles in the world, and which has frequently had cholera epidemics, we’re going to be very vulnerable to epidemics across the country, but particularly in the north.
The other element which makes our work so much more difficult in the north is the detention of 73 UN colleagues. We have had 73 colleagues detained—the first in 2021, then in 2023, then in 2024, and then twice in 2025.
And with those detentions and the seizure of our offices, it has meant that the UN does not have the conditions for us to be able to work.
Personally, I’ve worked twice in Yemen—six years in total—before the start of the war and the beginning of the war, and then these last two years. I was personally part of setting up much of the humanitarian endeavour across the country. To see our humanitarian response so hobbled is terrifying.
I’m very worried for my colleagues, but above all I’m very worried for what this will mean for a humanitarian response for the Yemeni population that badly needs assistance.
Now we are working with the broader Humanitarian Country Team—INGOs and national NGOs—to see how other organizations can step up and do more to cover what the UN is doing. But there are some unique capacities that only UN agencies have, and only UN agencies have the scale of response that is required for a country where, for example, 2,300 primary healthcare systems are being supported by UN agencies.
No NGO has the capacity to support all of that. So, we’re going to have a very difficult time. We will, as a humanitarian community, do our best to restructure and reorganize to be able to do that, but in the current circumstances it is deeply challenging. And the obviously this is also in a broader situation of a very constrained funding environment.
So that’s the overview of the challenges—and maybe we get into questions. AlessandraAbsolutely. Thank you very much, Julien. We will now go to questions. I’ll start with the room. Robin, correspondent of AFP. Journalist (Robin, AFP)Good morning. Thank you. Do you feel that, with everything else going on in the world at the moment—Gaza, Ukraine, even Greenland—that Yemen and the humanitarian situation there is being totally overlooked?
And secondly, you spelled out the financial situation for 2025. For 2026, how many people are going to be in need of humanitarian aid? How many of them do you think you’ll be able to reach?
And what is the funding situation—how much money do you need, and how much do you think you’ll be able to get? Julien HarneisThank you.
Look—thanks for the question, Robin. It really depends on which media you’re looking at. As you can see it today, in this press conference, there are online connections from the Gulf region and the broader Middle East, and there is a lot of interest. In regional Arabic-language media, there is a lot of coverage of what is going on in areas under the control of the Government of Yemen, and more generally what goes in Yemen.
One of the constraints is that there is very little media that goes into areas under Sana’a. And 70% of the population is there – international media or regional media [I meant]. In the last two years, I can think of maybe one or two international media that have been there.
We as humanitarian organizations are constantly speaking out about the situation. We raise it every month. In the Security Council—OCHA—does a briefing on the humanitarian situation in Yemen. But international media is not engaging with Yemen in the way that I think is needed.
Now, obviously, on our side as well, we need to reach out more and discuss that. So yes, it’s definitely a challenge.
And it’s not just with the media, with member states who support the humanitarian response, we are looking to increase engagement with them.
A lot of the responses – for many years - have been funded by "Western governments" – I think we can describe them [as such], but obviously they are financially under pressure, and their budgets are coming down. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the Emirates, and other Gulf member states have been generous, and we’re hoping engagement with them will bring greater attention to the humanitarian side, because there is obviously a lot of political attention.
So that is sort of the matter of attention. As I said earlier, 28% of funding is not good. About 688 million last year was the amount received.
It is the beginning of the year, so I don’t know how things will play out this year. But given the environment, I am very concerned. I have spoken to Tom Fletcher, the Emergency Relief Coordinator. Yemen is one of his priorities. It’s on his list, and he’s bringing that to member states and to the Inter-Agency Standing Committee.
We’re doing what we can to bring greater attention to this, but it’s going to be needed. And my fear is that we won’t hear about it until mortality and morbidity significantly increase this next year. Thank you. AlessandraThank you very much. Other questions in the room? John Zaracostas, France 24 and The Lancet. Journalist (John Zaracostas)Good morning. I was wondering if you could bring us up to speed from the retreat. What message did you get from the Secretary-General concerning Yemen? And what are your top three priorities given the limited funds coming in? Where will you focus? There’s a risk of famine and the health situation is dire—so what are the top three priorities in the first six months? Thank you. Julien HarneisThank you, John. The Secretary-General is personally engaged on Yemen—following up on the political situation in all parts of the country; on the humanitarian file; and personally involved in the matter of the detention of our colleagues.
He travelled to Muscat, Oman, last month to engage with the Sultan to bring out the condition and the fact that our colleagues were detained and how that is an impediment to the UN’s ability to work in the north.He is deeply concerned about the political situation—you will have seen, his statements and that, but also the statements of Hans Grundberg, the Special Envoy. And in tandem with the Emergency Relief Coordinator—given his past as head of one of the major UN humanitarian agencies, he is deeply worried about that too. So the Secretary-General is following in detail.In terms of priorities: first, it is a priority for Yemenis firstly, then is it is a priority for the Humanitarian Country Team. The focus has to be on public health and malnutrition, as well as food insecurity.Why? Because whilst the food insecurity is deeply worrying and we are expecting a degradation, it is not food insecurity that kills. Food insecurity contributes to malnutrition, but as does poor access to clean water, as does lack of access to health services, and socioeconomic conditions. When those things combined together, you get malnutrition—and that’s where you see mortality and morbidity, particularly affecting the [children] under-fives, and particularly children under the age of two.
So nutrition, public health, particularly at the primary healthcare level, and food insecurity come together and are our priorities across the country. AlessandraThank you very much. Uh, yes, Boris?

 Journalist (Boris)Yes. Uh, Boris Engelson, a local freelancer. You alluded to the, attitude, the lack of information conveyed in the media. In, the current world, in crisis situations, there are places where we think, we feel we understand what's going on. In Gaza, most people think, rightly or wrongly, they understand what's going on. In some other places, it's a bit, we are not sure who are the good and bad guy. But in some countries, like Yemen, most people, even informed people, don't really understand what's going on. So among 10 people you report on Yemen or you, uh, address about Yemen, how many know, understand what's going on? Julien Harneis
Well, you know, I've been working in humanitarian conflicts and emergencies non-stop for 20 years - not as long as some colleagues, but you know, it's a long time. And, Yemen is, without doubt, the most complicated and complex, humanitarian situation I've ever worked in, and I would generally say if anybody tells you they know what's going on in Yemen, they are … well, I think they're bluffing.So, I think zero out of 10 people should know what's going on in Yemen because it is an extraordinarily complicated situation. You know, I've just seen the last month in Aden, we went through a situation where you had the government of Yemen in charge. Then over 48 hours, the Southern Transitional Council took over, the whole of the government of Yemen areas including, areas which they'd not been in forever, and then, four weeks later they had announced - in Riyadh - that they had dissolved. And now the government of Yemen has retaken those areas. But at the same time, we've got demonstrations in Aden, saying "No. we're still there." So, you know, that's just in the government of Yemen areas without looking at, , Sana'a. So, it is an extraordinarily complex situation. And of course, that's the challenge for humanitarians. The more complicated the situation, the tendency is for member states and, and, for people who could, give money is to go, "No, it's just too complicated, we don't understand it and there isn't a simple narrative, and therefore, without that simple narrative, it is more difficult to raise funds."The reality is, the simple narrative is children are dying and it's gonna get worse.For 10 years, the UN and humanitarian organizations were able to improve mortality and improve morbidity. But with the conjunction that we're seeing this year, that's not gonna be the case.  That is the simple story; that's what everybody needs to understand. Thank you. Alessandra Thank you very much, Julian. Let me go to the platform. We have got Nick Hamilbruns, and then New York Times. Journalist (Nick Hamilbruns)Yeah. Good morning. Thank you for taking my question. In the last couple of years, it looked as if there might be some kind of, patching up or agreement between Sana'a and, and Saudi Arabia. We've kind of lost sight of where that is. And I'm just wondering if you see any progress on that particular front. And secondly, you alluded to the problems with the STC. What is the state of that sort of particular conflict? How bad... how much is that impacting on humanitarian assistance and, to what extent .. is there sort of a homegrown desire for separation in the South? Or is that something that's being driven by, external partners, parties? Thank you. Julien HarneisThank you very much, Nick. I'll not answer the majority of your questions because it is an area that goes into the mandate of Hans Grundberg [SG Special Envoy for Yemen] on the political side as the Special Envoy, which he's uniquely placed to talk about. I work on the humanitarian and the development file. So, I'll sort of stick to my area of knowledge and competence. 
What I can say is that the fact that the parties to the conflict have not been able to find a solution is what’s driving the increase from 19.5 million to 21 million people in need this year. It’s not active fighting; it’s not massive displacement; it’s not bombing, but it is the collapse of the economy; it is the ports, which have been heavily damaged in the last year; it is the fact that the airports are no longer operating; it is the disruption of essential services—health, education, and all of those things which create this worsening situation.
So, in the absence of political solutions, it is impossible for humanitarians to deal with this. We can take the edge of it; we can save lives; but we cannot stop the underlying dynamic that is creating all these needs.
In terms of the consequences in Government of Yemen areas …you know I’ve travelled all over Yemen. There are many parts of Yemen where you would go to and you'd think that you were in a country that has development challenges, but not a conflict.
The difficulty of the political challenges the country is going through at the moment means that, instead of focusing on development—instead of governments and local authorities being able to focus on improving electricity supplies; improving access to jobs; getting Yemenis employed; improving the healthcare system—instead of that, leaders of the countries in all parts are understandably focused on the political challenges.
There have been announcements that they will be working - supported by member states, particularly Saudi Arabia - to address that. But obviously it takes your eye off the ball. So, the political crisis - or the political challenges, I should say- has an immediate and direct impact on the lack of development and therefore feeds into increased humanitarian needs unnecessarily. AlessandraThank you very much, Julien. Yes, Robin—follow-up? Journalist (Robin, AFP)Thank you. The negotiations to free UN colleagues who are being detained—do you see any glimmers of light in that process? And do you see any signs that the parties to the conflict understand the level of damage that does to the UN’s ability to deliver humanitarian aid in the field? Julien HarneisYes. Thank you. I talk to the families a lot, as do the representatives [of UN agencies]. It’s terrible for them. Some families haven’t seen their loved ones in five years. They don’t know the conditions of detention. They don’t know where they are. They don’t know if they’re going to be sentenced to death in the coming days.So, the families are suffering, and – more broadly - it’s terrifying across all humanitarians who live or work in the north, because you just don’t know what’s going to happen to you next, and you don’t understand why, why did this happen? 
You know, we’ve been working in the north for 10 years. We’ve been working in Yemen since the ’60s, but we’ve been working since the beginning of the conflict. We’ve been there, operating, making a huge contribution.
And then suddenly, in the last couple of years, this breakdown - and inexplicably so - that has a terrifying effect on the humanitarian workers more generally, which, in itself, is debilitating.Obviously, the detention of our colleagues comes within a broader context. There are also INGO staff who’ve been detained. Staff working for certain embassies have been detained, activists, people engaged in politics in different ways, people from the government.
Nobody talks about them. Nobody talks about them and who’s paying for their salaries. So, the detention is a much broader challenge across society. There are some detentions in the Government of Yemen areas, but nothing of the scale of what we see in the north.
So, it is a challenge directly for the humanitarians, but it’s more broadly a challenge for the Yemeni society that – I believe - from a human rights perspective, merits much more attention.Now, as I noted earlier, the Secretary-General has met with the Sultan. He has raised this with the Government of Saudi Arabia, with the Government of Iran, and with many member states of the region – himself personally, at all levels. Hans Grundberg has also done this—he’s constantly circling around the region. And we have a colleague working purely on the detainee file who is engaged.
Member states understand the challenge and express sympathy, but there are so many concerns that they find it difficult to apply the appropriate engagement to address this.
And of course, the other thing is that we’ve seen the situation in Yemen—it’s very intractable situation. If you look at what happened on the Red Sea and the other elements of the conflict: member states have attempted to put pressure on the authorities in Sana’a, and it has been very challenging.
So, it’s a really difficult issue to resolve. We need to keep at it for many years to come, and we do need greater support from member states. Thank you. AlessandraThank you very much, Julien. Let me see if there are other questions in the room. John—go ahead. Journalist (John Zaracostas)Coming back to the link between access to clean water and disease: as you know, quite a few water facilities were bombed. How many of these have been repaired and are producing clean water in urban and other areas? What percentage of the population would be roughly having access to clean water? Thank you. Julien HarneisThank you, John. The broader challenge for access to clean water is not so much physical damage caused by bombing campaigns, because the access to water in Yemen is very dispersed. You have borewells every couple of hundred meters in certain areas.
There are two challenges Yemen faces on water—and this is true across all of Yemen.
One is that with population increase, climate change, and a population that uses more water per capita than in the past, the water table in most urban areas—most major cities—is dropping. For example, in Sana’a some borewells go down to 1,000 meters and more.
So, you have a huge challenge about access to water because of those underlying situations - nothing to do with the conflict.Now, unlike countries where water is available five or ten meters below ground level, or surface water is available. What that means you need power. You need power to bring up the water—and that means diesel or you need big solar systems.And the economic challenges, the damage to the harbour, and the fact that the UN is unable to work on increasing the availability of solar and on increasing the capacity of diesel – delivering diesel – in order to bring up the water—are producing a massive constraint on water.
So that is another huge challenge for all parts of the country, but particularly the north. We’re looking, as humanitarians, to see how this can be resolved, but it is deeply challenging. Thank you. AlessandraAnd we have a request for follow-up from the New York Times. Nick? Journalist (Nick, New York Times)Thank you. The United States made it clear when it was providing $2 billion for Tom Fletcher the other day that Yemen was not on their list of potential beneficiaries. I am wondering, what’s your sense – from the discussions you've had so far on this year's appeal-  of who is lining up to produce support? Is that mainly going to be European countries for the UN system? Or is the reality that the people most likely to provide funding for projects in Yemen are basically shunning the UN system and doing it bilaterally? Julien HarneisWhat I think—without wanting to throw flowers at Tom, the Emergency Relief Coordinator, I think the negotiation of the two billion for pooled funds is an extraordinary achievement, and it demonstrates a trust in the UN and in the mechanism of pooled funds mechanisms.
So that does not suggest they are shunning him. You don’t give two billion dollars to somebody you’re shunning. Or if you do, I’d like to be shunned as well. 
So, there is clearly an engagement from the United States. But at the same time, you can understand why the United States would have great difficulty providing humanitarian funds for Yemen specifically.
Last year there was an active conflict- I'm not quite sure what the appropriate designation of it is, but Ansar Allah was firing missiles at the US Navy, and the US Navy was firing back. And there are employees of the United States who are detained. In those circumstances, it’s extraordinary that the United States did provide as much assistance as they did.
For many years the US was the biggest donor to the humanitarian response in Yemen. That’s no longer the case. I am hoping that at least in parts of Yemen the US government will come back to fund, and that’s important because they are—or have been—the world’s biggest humanitarian donor.
The top three donors in Yemen in recent years have been the United States, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and the United Kingdom.
I am hoping that we will see even more support from the Gulf countries. A humanitarian crisis in Yemen is a risk to the Arabian Peninsula: Cholera crosses borders. Measles crosses borders. Polio crosses borders. And we’ve seen that in the past, particularly with cholera. So, as a community, worldwide, we need to provide humanitarian support, but I am particularly hoping that we will get great support from Gulf member states.
I’ve recently been invited to an event in Riyadh to contribute to a discussion on the Global Humanitarian Overview, precisely because King Salman Relief was so interested in the situation of Yemen. So, there is a great deal of interest there, and I think we need to work above all with those member states. Thank you. AlessandraThank you very much, Julien. Oh—John, sorry, I didn’t see you. Go ahead.Journalist (John Zaracostas)A final question—coming back to funding: roughly what percentage of funds donated by member states are earmarked, and how many give you more space to work? In other words, non-earmarked. Julien HarneisIn a highly charged, complex emergency like Yemen, most funds are directed either thematically or geographically or have constraints and limitations to ensure the money is spent in certain ways.So, there is very little in the way that funding is provided to UN agencies or NGOs where you can broadly spend it as you will. I don’t know precisely how you would describe that as earmarked or not.We do have a Yemen Humanitarian Fund, which has been very successful. 66% of the funding goes to local NGOs; 33% goes to women-led organizations. And those funds are always allocated based on the highest needs. And I think that links to the success of Tom [Fletcher] in securing the allocation towards pooled funds. Pooled funds is an excellent instrument precisely to address the most pressing needs in any particular country. Julien Harneis
We’re at the end, right? Can I say one thing? Alessandra 
Of course you can. Julien Harneis (closing)
Thank you. I just wanted to appreciate the engagement and the importance of the press corps in engaging on this subject. We need to be looking a greater deal on what is going on in Yemen. I also want to note that some excellent work provided by local and regional analysts - I won’t embarrass them by naming them today - but there is some really solid work being done by those experts, but it’s not finding its way through to a broader public.
And I really hope that, together, we can get the message through about the great risks to Yemenis in this coming year, and the fact that we can, together, we can prevent an increase in mortality and morbidity, but it will be very challenging. Thank you. Alessandra (closing)Thank you, Julien. I really hope our colleagues, journalists here and on the platform – which are quite numerous - will listen to your appeal. We really invite you to continue keeping us abreast, whether you – and thank you very much for coming and speaking with journalists – or through your colleagues in the field Jean and others that can intervene in our press briefings from afar. We want to keep Yemen’s dire situation at the attention of journalists.
So thank you very much to everyone for following this press conference. Thanks to Julien for coming and speaking to the Geneva press corps. Have a nice day and a nice week, and I’ll see you tomorrow for the briefing. Julien Harneis
Yes. Thank you. Julien Harneis
Thank you so much.      

By: Haithm Abdulbaqi | Media and Communications Assistant with IOM YemenTa’iz, Yemen - Alsanahif clings to the edges of Saber Mountain, a place shaped by stone and determination. More than 1,200 families live here, scattered across cliffs that rise 3,000 metres above sea level. The land is both beautiful and harsh. Roads turn into broken footpaths. Cars stop long before the village comes into view. Even the strongest four-wheel drives struggle against the mountain.The village didn’t lack attention; it lacked access. Anyone trying to bring supplies had to deal with hours of climbing on unstable ground. In the end, the village was known by many, but few could actually reach it.Water shaped life here in quiet, relentless ways for a long time. Women and children woke before sunrise to walk nearly two hours to the nearest spring. The journey was steep, narrow, and dangerous, but every family needed it. On a good day, they returned with just forty litres to last until the next trip. During the dry season, the spring shrank to a trickle. Families then bought water carried by donkeys at prices they could barely afford. Others collected rainwater in old open harvesting tanks. When those ran out, people drank whatever they could find, even from still ponds between the rocks. Getting sick became common. 
“Once the tanks run dry, the worry begins. People fight over the little water that is left. The spring is three kilometres away. The path is precarious. People fall,” Fouad Hasan, a local electrician who knows the mountain's sharp edges well, recounted about the people’s struggle. In Alsanahif, loss is not forgotten, it is carried.A child once ran after a water truck, hoping to bring home a few litres of drinking water. He slipped and fell beneath its wheels. The tragedy shook the village and became a turning point, forcing many families to openly consider leaving their homes in search of safety and survival.Years earlier, during a severe drought striking the area, desperation had already pushed the community to the edge. As water sources dried up, residents began digging shallow wells, hoping the earth might still offer something beneath its surface. Young men took turns descending into the narrow pit. Three of them never came back out, suffocating inside the well from the lack of oxygen.These losses are etched into the collective memory of Alsanahif, stark reminders of how far people were driven by thirst, and how even the simple act of searching for water had become life-threatening.Climate change drove the families of the village further to the brink. Rain seasons shifted unpredictably. Springs dried up earlier each year, and for a village without roads and no underground water, survival felt like a tough balancing act between hope and exhaustion. When the International Organization for Migration (IOM) learned about this community, its Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) team decided to visit despite the challenges. It took two hours by car and another two on foot to reach the village. Reaching the village took two hours by car and another two on foot. Staff walked along narrow cliffs, stopping often to steady themselves.When they arrived, the landscape revealed what reports could not. The physical toll of each visit was significant, some staff needed a full day, sometimes two, to recover before continuing their work. Ayoub Zabel, one of IOM’s WASH engineers, recalls the first trip vividly: “After seeing how people live, we were determined to do something about it and support these communities,” he said. “Every visit left the team exhausted. It took a real commitment just to reach the village, let alone build anything.” The design of the water system depended solely on the natural resources at hand. There was no drilling for underground water. Instead, the team repaired and rehabilitated the existing springs by installing an integrated pumping unit, a solar system, and household flow meters, built storage, and created a system to carry clean water across the difficult terrain. Implementation brought its own challenges. With no road access and slopes too narrow for motorbikes, workers carried every piece of equipment on their backs. They hauled solar panels, pipes, tools, cement bags, and metal fittings across sharp ridges and up steep paths, one load at a time. Each trip took hours, often in intense heat or thick mountain fog, but the team kept going. Their determination made human effort the only way to transport everything needed to build the water network deep in the unyielding terrain.  One vital pump was so heavy that it could only be delivered by helicopter when the project was made back in 2014.For the first time, the sound of rotor blades echoed across the mountains of Alsanahif, bringing the possibility of change.When the system finally began operating, the village quickly felt the difference. Water flowed into homes and collection points throughout the settlement, saving hours off the daily journey. Illness began to decrease. Families no longer spent their savings on trucked water. With water closer to home, children returned to school. Women regained hours once consumed by survival. And a trained local water committee now manages the system, ensuring it continues to serve the community long after construction ended.  “People are relieved,” explained Fouad, “some still cannot believe it. We don’t talk about abandoning the village anymore. This project brought life back to the area.”Alsanahif still sits on top of the mountain, with steep paths leading to the houses. But life is no longer dominated by fears of empty tanks and shrinking springs. Families drink safely. Children don’t have to risk their lives anymore. Mother and fathers can be relieved knowing that their kids have time to go to school. Their children play without glancing toward the cliffs. The air feels lighter.  With generous funding from the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development through KfW, IOM did more than deliver water to an isolated village—it helped give Alsanahif the chance to remain, grow, and live with dignity in their own home.

Aden, Yemen – For years, stepping into Marib General Hospital meant entering a place fighting its own battles. Overcrowded corridors. Walls swollen with humidity. Bathrooms that constantly leaked or clogged. Floors cracked from overuse. Air heavy with the weight of too many patients and too few functional systems. It was a hospital doing its best – but one, where the environment itself worked against healing.“Before the renovation, we faced constant humidity, water leaks and malfunctioning bathrooms,” recalls Abdulkarim Abdulhussein, Director of Marib General Hospital Authority.“These issues affected medical services and even the psychological well-being of patients.” Yet thousands continued to walk through its doors, because they had nowhere else to go.A transformation families can feelToday that reality has changed – profoundly.With generous support from King Salman Humanitarian Aid & Relief Centre, and in close partnership with the Ministry of Public Health and Population, WHO restored not just buildings but the sense of dignity and safety that families in Yemen have long deserved. Across Marib and Matna hospitals, WASH rehabilitation has brought:modern, disability-inclusive restroomsreliable water systems built to withstand pressureclean, restored floors and wallssanitation systems that actually protect healthproper ventilation and functioning air-conditioninginfection-prevention upgrades in high-risk areas.These improvements are more than infrastructure – they are a lifeline.“The difference is very significant,” says Hussain, a long-time patient. “Before, we had to look for several hospitals to meet our needs. Now everything is here –  better equipment, better services, better specialists and a clean environment.”A hospital reborn in the eyes of its communityFor patients like Ibrahim, who brings his family for treatment every few months, the change is immediate, visible and deeply felt.“The renovations to the floors, walls and bathrooms created a real transformation,” he shares.Families now walk into spaces that feel clean and safe, not stressful and uncertain. On the frontlines: a safer emergency room Inside one of Yemen’s busiest emergency departments, where 150 to 300 patients arrive every single day, the transformation has been lifesaving.“Upgrading the sanitation system, installing hand-washing stations and adding epoxy floors made our work faster and safer,” explains Dr Malik Al-Faqih, Head of Emergency. “It improved the environment for patients, visitors and staff.”For doctors treating war injuries, trauma cases and critical patients, a clean and organized environment is not a luxury – it is the difference between risk and safety, between delay and survival.More than renovation –  a renewal of trustThe impact of the WASH upgrades extends far beyond physical improvements. It restored something fragile, yet essential: trust.Trust that a hospital can be a place of healing, not harm.
Trust that families can enter with fear and leave with relief.
Trust that health workers have the environment they need to save lives.“This project created a positive impression among all patients,” says Director Abdulkarim. “It improved the working environment and the quality of health care we provide.”A foundation for hopeChallenges remain – overcrowding, the need for expanded clinics and growing demand from a displaced population. But the WASH rehabilitation has already rewritten the daily experience of thousands. Clean water now flows where it once barely reached.
Bathrooms are accessible, functional and safe.
Walls no longer leak; floors no longer pose infection risks.
Health workers stand taller, supported by a system that supports them back.This transformation is more than a project. It is a promise fulfilled: that every person deserves dignity, safety and quality care.It is a reminder that even in the most challenging contexts, rebuilding begins with restoring the basics – water, sanitation and the simple human right to heal in safety.All of it made possible through the generous support of King Salman Humanitarian Aid & Relief Centre, whose contribution helped turn a long-standing struggle into a story of renewal and restored dignity.To know more about the WASH project, read the full press release below:WHO and KSrelief launch US$ 3.75 million project to improve WASH services in Yemen’s health facilities 
 

By:Mohammed Al-Ashwal | Media and communication unitAyoub Al-Ahmadi | Senior Translation AssistantAden, Yemen When Adam left his quiet farming village in Ethiopia, he carried only one hope — to find work and help his family. Instead, the 27-year-old was pulled into a cycle of violence, extortion, and forced labour that lasted nearly two years. Adam grew up in a small farming community in Ethiopia, surrounded by his family and the land that supported them. Life was modest but stable, and he spent most of his days helping with crops and caring for cattle. When a smuggler approached him with promises of better income abroad, Adam felt pressured to take the risk. He hoped that leaving home would allow him to support the people who depended on him. The idea of earning enough to lift his family out of hardship began to feel like an obligation he could not ignore. Believing he was choosing a path toward a better future, Adam joined a group of young men attempting to cross through Djibouti on their way toward the Arabian Peninsula. But the journey shifted quickly from hope to fear. While resting near the Djibouti border, the group was surrounded by armed forces. They were beaten, detained, and held for nine days in harsh conditions before being forcibly returned to Ethiopia. The experience left Adam shaken, but the pressure to support his family had become overwhelming. Returning home with nothing felt like failure, so despite the trauma, he decided to try again almost immediately.  On his second attempt, he managed to reach Yemen, but the danger intensified. Shortly after arrival, Adam was taken by traffickers and moved into a crowded enclosure filled with other migrants who were equally frightened and uncertain of their fate. The traffickers demanded a ransom of 500,000 Ethiopian Birr for his release—an impossible amount for his family. Back home, the news devastated them. With no other options, they sold their land, their cattle, and every asset they owned to gather the money. “When I heard that my family had to give up everything to save me, I felt a deep pain,” Adam said. “I carried their sacrifice with me every day.” Even after the ransom was paid, Adam’s suffering continued. He was abandoned and left to find his own way through unfamiliar areas. He eventually reached Rada’a, where he found work on local farms. For seven months he laboured intensively, hoping to earn enough money to move forward or return home. But he was repeatedly denied his wages, leaving him trapped in a cycle of exploitation. Every attempt to escape his situation only pushed him deeper into uncertainty. Desperate to continue toward Saudi Arabia, Adam attempted the crossing again, but he was captured by military forces near the border. He endured another round of beatings, followed by three days of detention. After that, he was left in the desert without food or water. Weakened and exhausted, he struggled to survive until he was able to return once more to the Rada’a area. There, he continued working under the same harsh conditions, still unpaid and uncertain of when the nightmare would end.  Nearly two years passed in this cycle of detention, forced labour, and constant fear. Adam survived on minimal food, little rest, and no sense of safety. His only goal became finding a way to return home. When he heard from other migrants about the assistance available at the International Organization for Migration (IOM) Migrant Response Point in Aden, he decided to take the risk and seek help. Reaching the centre marked the first moment of security he had experienced since leaving Ethiopia. “It was the first time I felt like someone cared about what happened to me,” he said. “IOM listened to me and helped me find a way out.” Adam has now returned home safely to Ethiopia through the Voluntary Humanitarian Return programme — supported by the Government of Norway. His arrival brought overwhelming relief to his family, who had spent years fearing for his life and carrying the weight of the sacrifices they made for his freedom. Seeing him step through the doorway marked the end of their long uncertainty and the beginning of a new chapter. Being back home has given Adam a sense of peace he thought he would never experience again. He spends his days reconnecting with his family, helping with small tasks around the house, and slowly adjusting to life after years of exploitation and hardship. Although the family lost their land and livestock to save him, they are grateful simply to have him back alive. The emotional healing will take time, but the feeling of being together again has given them strength. Adam is now focused on rebuilding his life and supporting his family in any way he can. He hopes to find stable work and eventually restore some of what was lost. For him, returning home is not just the end of a difficult journey — it is a chance to start again, surrounded by the people who never gave up on him. Adam’s safe return home was made possible through IOM’s VHR programme, with generous support from the Government of Norway.