UN battles shortage of funds, closes 70% of life-saving health services

The United Nations has announced closure of 70 per cent of life-saving reproductive health programs due to shortage of funds.

This closure which started at the beginning of September was announced on Friday September 11, 2020.

UNFPA on Twitter posted that “As of September, 70 per cent of UNFPA’s life-saving reproductive health program in Yemen is suspended due to the lack of funding.”

The United Nations also disclosed in a report issued that “At a pledging event for Yemen held in February, the UN and humanitarian partners were promised $2.6 billion to meet the urgent needs of more than 20 million Yemenis.”

“To date, less than half of this amount has been received,” it added.

The report continued that out of the 34 major UN humanitarian programs in Yemen, only three are funded for the entire year.

Lise Grande, UN humanitarian coordinator for Yemen, expressed that “We are desperate for the funds that were promised. When money doesn’t come, people die.”

“All of us are ashamed by the situation. It’s heart-breaking to look a family in the eye and say we have no money to help,” he added.

The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs confirmed that the UN had been forced to suspend most of the country’s vaccination campaigns in May.