Yemen Humanitarian Fund (YHF) 2025 Annual Report

In 2025, an estimated 19.5 million people in Yemen required humanitarian assistance and protection services, representing an increase of 1.3 million compared to the previous year, with women and children making up the majority of those in need.

Humanitarian needs were driven not only by widespread food insecurity, affecting approximately 17.1 million people, and persistently high levels of malnutrition and health risks, but also by extensive conflict‑related displacement, with about 4.8 million people displaced–many multiple times–throughout the protracted crisis.

Against a backdrop of increasing needs, the humanitarian response in 2025 operated under severe and unprecedented funding shortages, with the Yemen 2025 HNRP funded at only 29 per cent, forcing clusters to scale down or suspend critical life‑saving services across sectors. This financial strain led the Humanitarian Country Team (HCT) to issue an HNRP Addendum in May 2025, refining priorities to focus solely on the most vulnerable populations and further narrowing sectoral targets. Consequently, the scale, reach, and continuity of humanitarian assistance were significantly constrained amid ongoing conflict, climate shocks, and economic decline.

Letter from the Humanitarian Coordinator

As we reflect on the challenging year of 2025, the Yemen Humanitarian Fund (YHF) remained a cornerstone for humanitarian assistance amid hardship and an evolving operational environment. Together with our dedicated partners, we made significant strides in addressing the urgent needs of vulnerable populations while strengthening the foundations for a more locally driven response.

In 2025, the YHF allocated US$22.6 million to 36 partners, expanding our reach to 663,000 people in need across Yemen. Our continued commitment to an area based, community focused approach enabled local actors to guide priority setting efforts and respond more swiftly to emerging and acute needs.

One of our proudest achievements was the level of support provided to local and national organizations, which accounted for 59 per cent of the total allocations. This not only empowered Yemeni partners but also ensured that interventions were more closely aligned with the local context and the priorities of the communities we serve.

Our gender responsive approach yielded notable results, with 24 per cent of funding directed to nine local women led organizations (WLOs), alongside significant investment in gender-based violence (GBV) programming. Together, these achievements reflect the Fund’s strategic commitment to a locally led response, reinforcing capacity, ownership, and responsiveness across Yemen.

In this context, the Fund’s emphasis on local and national partners proved essential, enabling the continued delivery of assistance in areas where international operational presence was constrained.

None of these accomplishments would have been possible without the unwavering support of our donors, our United Nations and non-governmental organization (NGO) partners, and the communities we serve. I extend my sincere appreciation for your continued solidarity with the Yemeni people.

These results were delivered despite persistent and, at times, unprecedented challenges. In 2025, an increasingly constrained security and operating environment significantly affected UN presence and operations, leading to a reorganization of the UN posture in northern-western areas of Yemen. These constraints underscored the critical importance of flexibility, strong local partnerships, and adaptive funding mechanisms in a situation where YHF implementation timelines and delivery modalities were impacted as we ended the year.

At the same time, overall contributions declined from US$47.9 million in 2024 to US$38.9 million in 2025, highlighting the urgent need for sustained engagement with funding partners in order to maintain the scale and continuity of life saving assistance. Looking ahead to 2026, and guided by the Humanitarian Reset, our ambition is to further strengthen the YHF as a critical, trusted, and effective financing instrument for emergency response in Yemen. We will continue to expand our partner base, with a particular focus on local actors, while systematically integrating lessons learned to enhance accountability, effectiveness, and overall impact. Building on our experience in 2025, the YHF remains fully committed to ensuring the timely allocation and disbursement of funds, adapting funding modalities where necessary, and supporting partners to deliver assistance even in highly constrained environments.

To conclude, the humanitarian situation in Yemen demands urgent action. In 2025, 19.5 million people required assistance, yet the 2025 Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan (HNRP) was only 29 per cent funded. In 2026, needs continue to rise as prolonged conflict, economic deterioration, displacement, and climate related shocks deepen food insecurity and worsen conditions for the most vulnerable people. Nevertheless, through sustained funding, strong partnerships, and collective resolve, we can continue to deliver lifesaving assistance to those most in need.

Mr. Laurent Bukera, Humanitarian Coordinator for Yemen