Yemen is in a dire humanitarian crisis after nine years of war, with over half of its population needing aid. Displaced women and girls, especially those with disabilities, struggle to access reproductive health care and are at high risk of gender-based violence. UNFPA has been coordinating and providing reproductive health and protection services since the start of the crisis, and leading the rapid response mechanism for immediate assistance to displaced people since 2018. This independent evaluation undertaken by the UNFPA Independent Evaluation Office assesses UNFPA's response to the crisis in Yemen from 2015 to the present.
The evaluation finds that UNFPA effectively adjusted its programme in Yemen to meet the changing needs of the population, while remaining sensitive to the socio-political context. Although starting with very limited services, UNFPA's work in reproductive health, gender-based violence, and youth programmes led to positive outcomes. UNFPA also successfully adapted its systems and leveraged its partnerships to meet the demands of the humanitarian crisis. The evaluation also highlights the need for UNFPA to strengthen its engagement with vulnerable groups, particularly persons with disabilities. The evaluation recommends better integration of short-term humanitarian efforts with long-term approaches for resilience building and development.
