Rising Temperatures, Failing Health Systems: Yemen’s Climate Crisis Demands Urgent Action
Summary:
Climate change is intensifying extreme weather events in Yemen, disproportionately impacting vulnerable populations like IDPs, women, and children.
Yemen's fragile health system is struggling to cope with increasing climate-related health risks, including vector-borne diseases and damage to infrastructure.
The World Bank urges immediate action, calling for a comprehensive climate-health adaptation strategy with improved healthcare, early warning systems, and increased investment in climate resilience.
A recent World Bank assessment has highlighted the growing threat of climate change to Yemen’s vulnerable population, emphasizing the urgent need for adaptation measures. The Climate and Health Vulnerability Assessment: The Republic of Yemen reveals that extreme weather events—such as floods, heatwaves, and water scarcity—are intensifying due to climate change, disproportionately affecting internally displaced persons (IDPs), women, and children.
The report estimates that over four million Yemenis, primarily in Marib, Al Hudaydah, Hajjah, and Taizz, are internally displaced, living in informal settlements with little protection from climate hazards. Women and children, often responsible for water collection, are particularly exposed to extreme heat and the risk of waterborne diseases.
Yemen’s already fragile health system is under severe strain, with climate-related health risks increasing. Rising temperatures are expected to exacerbate vector-borne diseases such as malaria and dengue, while extreme flooding threatens to damage health infrastructure. The assessment underscores the importance of bolstering Yemen’s health system resilience through improved governance, enhanced health data systems, and increased investment in climate adaptation.
The World Bank urges policymakers and international stakeholders to act swiftly, emphasizing that climate-induced health crises could further destabilize the country without urgent intervention. The report calls for a comprehensive climate-health adaptation strategy, including early warning systems, improved healthcare delivery, and increased funding for climate resilience.
As Yemen faces compounding challenges from conflict, economic hardship, and environmental degradation, experts warn that inaction will only worsen the crisis. The findings are a stark reminder that tackling climate change is not just an environmental issue but a humanitarian imperative.
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