On the eve of a meeting held Wednesday in Brussels, attended by European Commissioner Hadja Lahbib, 28 international non-governmental organizations operating in Yemen strongly urged the international community to demonstrate a renewed commitment to the people of Yemen.
The organizations expressed in a joint statement, “deep concern on how significantly the situation in Yemen has deteriorated since last years’ meeting”.
Amid ongoing funding cuts, the country now faces a growing and increasingly complex set of interrelated challenges that have intensified further since early 2025, severely impeding humanitarian and development efforts and making it harder than ever to reach millions in urgent need.
As front line actors committed to serving those in need, the statement added “we remain ready to deliver life-saving assistance, made possible through the generosity of our donors”.
Since early 2025, many critical projects have been terminated, cutting off vital provision of essential relief items, health services and facilities, including hospitals, vaccination programmes and centers particularly vital for women and girls.
As a result, both lifesaving and longer-term support have become inaccessible to large segments of the population in need. Failure to provide alternatives to fill these gaps will only worsen the already dire situation, and restoring essential interventions will become significantly more complex and costly over time.
The organizations appeal to the international community to act now and take coordinated action to avert irreversible harm to millions of lives across Yemen. Hey also urge donors to uphold a principled and impartial approach, ensuring funding is allocated solely based on the most critical needs, wherever they exist across the country.
The organization’s joint statement added “As we approach 6 June, a significant number of staff across the UN, international NGOs and civil society organizations remain in detention, for nearly a year, raising serious and growing concerns for their safety and well-being.
We further call on key regional and international States and partners with influence, to support all efforts aimed at securing the release of detained humanitarian workers and ensure protection of humanitarian space”.