The World Health Organization (WHO) announced on Thursday, May 30th, the signing of an agreement with the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center (KSRelief) worth $9.5 million to support crucial health projects in Yemen.

The agreement, signed on the sidelines of the 77th World Health Assembly in Geneva, Switzerland, was described as “important” and a “pivotal step in strengthening the health system in Yemen” in a statement released by the WHO Yemen office on the social media platform X.

The funded projects, according to the statement, will target 12.6 million people across various governorates in Yemen. The focus will be on improving access to safe drinking water, preventing the spread of infectious diseases, and bolstering the health system's capacity to respond to disease outbreaks.

The WHO anticipates that these efforts will significantly reduce disease rates, lower mortality figures, and enhance the resilience of Yemen's health infrastructure.

The agreement, according to the WHO, reflects the ongoing commitment of both the organization and KSRelief to address the urgent health needs of the Yemeni people.

On May 6th, the WHO reported that the prolonged conflict in Yemen has left over half of the country's population in need of humanitarian aid and protection services, including 17.8 million people requiring health assistance, 50% of whom are children.