The suffering of women in Yemen due to displacement continues year after year amidst rising gender-based violence and the deterioration of services, while the prospects for a political solution to end the conflict that has lasted for nearly 10 years remain bleak, leaving a deep humanitarian crisis on all levels.
During the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence, UN agencies draw attention to the gender-based violence faced by displaced women and girls worldwide.
UN organizations highlight that increasing conflicts and climate crises are leading to record levels of displacement and instability, exposing women and girls to a greater risk of gender-based violence.
According to reports reviewed by "Khuyut," women between the ages of 18 and 60 represent the largest displaced group in Yemen. Women are significantly affected by displacement due to the war, with more than four million people estimated to be internally displaced. Women and children make up over 70% of the displaced population, and around 30% of displaced households are headed by women, compared to just 9% before 2015.
Gender-based violence against women and girls in Yemen has worsened due to displacement, with displaced women and girls, women-headed households, and people with disabilities particularly at risk. As poverty and hunger rates rise, girls are becoming more vulnerable to early marriage, human trafficking, and child labor.
Currently, the number of displacement camps has reached more than 1,500 informal, unplanned camps, where displaced people need support to meet their basic needs. Estimates show that approximately 93% of these camps have women, most of whom are pregnant or breastfeeding, and 84% of the camps are women-headed households.
Displaced women and girls from marginalized groups or with disabilities struggle even more to access services. Displaced women face challenges in securing livelihoods for themselves and their families, especially as they are exposed to numerous health, psychological, and even violence and exploitation risks. These harsh and unfavorable conditions make it difficult for women to improve their living standards.
Escalating Violence Against Women
After nine years of war, Yemen remains one of the largest humanitarian crises in the world, with more than half of the country’s population, about 18.2 million people, needing some form of humanitarian aid. The country is also facing one of the worst global food crises, with over half the population struggling to access food. In 2024, an estimated 2.7 million pregnant and breastfeeding women need treatment for severe malnutrition.
According to a report from the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) in March 2024, more than 4.5 million Yemenis have been displaced, fleeing areas of armed conflict within the country over the past decade.
The conflict, the deteriorating economy, climate shocks, and the collapse of services have led to disrupted access for women and girls to reproductive health and protection services. A woman dies every two hours during pregnancy, childbirth, and its complications, from causes that could have been completely avoidable with access to care. Only one in five functional health facilities provides maternal and child health services.
Violence against women and girls has intensified, with displaced women and girls, female-headed households, and people with disabilities facing particular risk. Rising poverty and hunger rates have made girls more vulnerable to early marriage, human trafficking, and child labor.
Additionally, since last July, exceptionally heavy monsoon rains have caused widespread damage and displacement across Yemen, affecting about half a million people and significantly worsening the humanitarian crisis.
Fear of the Worst
The UN High Commissioner for Refugees warns that millions of displaced Yemenis are facing dire conditions amid the deepening prolonged crisis in the country. This comes according to the latest assessment conducted by the organization.
An updated protection monitoring report on internally displaced persons, published by the UN High Commissioner last week, paints a grim picture of the conditions faced by displaced Yemenis and their host communities. Data was collected from more than 47,000 households in the first half of 2024, offering insight into the suffering of displaced persons, returnees, and host communities. Many of these families reside in official and informal IDP sites, reflecting the ongoing displacement crisis.
UN agencies fear the situation could deteriorate further, as a report from the UN High Commissioner indicates that 85% of these families are unable to meet their daily food needs, with many resorting to harsh coping mechanisms, such as reducing meal sizes or skipping meals entirely. These statistics reflect the harsh reality faced by entire families experiencing hunger on a daily basis.
Despite efforts to improve living conditions, the vast majority of displaced families do not feel safe returning home due to ongoing unrest, scarce livelihood opportunities, and risks such as landmines, which trap them in a cycle of prolonged displacement.
Yemen's crisis remains one of the worst humanitarian disasters in the world, with the country facing enormous challenges, even as global attention shifts to other emergencies. Currently, there are 18.2 million people in Yemen, including 4.5 million displaced persons, in urgent need of humanitarian assistance. This includes more than 60,000 refugees and asylum seekers from Somalia and Ethiopia.
A UN report released alongside the launch of the 16 Days of Activism campaign confirms that violence against women is still widespread, including its most extreme form, female killings. This is a global phenomenon that transcends borders, social and economic conditions, and age groups.
The need for more consistent and sustainable global support for countries like Yemen is urgent, as it remains one of the most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change, and one of the least prepared to mitigate the effects of severe weather events and disasters caused by climate change.
Entire communities have been affected by catastrophic flooding in the Melhan district in Al-Mahwit Governorate due to heavy rains and the collapse of three dams. The floods recently claimed 97 lives, injured many others, and affected more than 56,000 homes in 20 governorates, forcing over 1,000 families to flee. The most affected areas include Al Hudaydah, Hajjah, Al-Tawilah in Al-Mahwit, and Marib. Blocked roads have isolated the affected areas and hindered rescue efforts.
Campaign Against Violence
In this context, a new UN report released on November 25, 2024, revealed that 60% of all female homicides worldwide are committed by intimate partners, such as husbands, or other family members. The report confirmed that violence against women is still widespread, including its most extreme form, female killings. This phenomenon is global, transcending borders, social and economic situations, and age groups.
The report, titled "Femicide in 2023: Global Estimates of Femicide by Intimate Partner/Family Member," was prepared by UN Women and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime. The available data compiled in the report shows that 85,000 women and girls were intentionally killed in 2023 worldwide. Of these, 60% - 51,000 - were killed by intimate partners or other family members.
The report also revealed that 140 women and girls die each day at the hands of their partners or close family members, which means one woman is killed every 10 minutes. The report’s release coincided with the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women on November 25.
A UN official stresses that violence against women and girls can be prevented through strong legislation, improved data collection, greater government accountability, a culture of zero tolerance, and increased funding for women’s rights organizations and institutional bodies.
Through the 16 Days of Activism campaign to combat violence against women and girls, UN Women will call for reinvigorating commitments, urging accountability, and action from decision-makers.
The 25th anniversary of the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women this year will be marked by an official event in New York, highlighting best practices for investing in the prevention of violence against women, as well as the challenges, gaps, and the way forward.
