Yemen’s Water Crisis Deepens as Rainfall Plummets, Threatening Millions

Image Credit, NRC

In Yemen, a country long battered by war and economic collapse, a new and worsening crisis is quietly unfolding: the growing scarcity of water. This year’s low seasonal rainfall, down by an alarming 40% in some regions, is tightening the noose on more than 15 million Yemenis who are already water insecure. What should have been a season of relief has instead become one of intensified hardship.

The Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) has sounded the alarm, warning that the decline in rainfall is placing unbearable strain on communities, especially the most vulnerable — displaced families, women, children, and the elderly. “With every year that passes, Yemenis see their ability to access water shrink,” said Angelita Caredda, NRC’s Middle East and North Africa Regional Director. “Water is a lifeline – not only vital to drink but also to stay clean and healthy, to prevent the spread of disease, to water crops and to care for animals.”

The crisis is not just about drought. The cost of accessing water has soared. In cities like Taiz, 1,000 litres of domestic-use water now costs 5 U.S. dollars — roughly the daily income of a labourer. For millions who live below the poverty line, that cost is impossible to sustain. The alternative — walking long distances to fetch water — places the burden squarely on women and children, and comes with dangers of its own.

Kudafah, a displaced mother in Abyan, painted a painful picture: “We have suffered a lot to get enough water. I used to walk for three kilometres to fetch a jerrycan of water from farms and carry it on my head. But the main problem was that it wasn’t potable water. The scene of the children falling from donkeys and breaking the jerrycans is stuck in my mind. One child spent hours fetching water and then lost it on the way back.”

The lack of clean water has led to a rise in waterborne diseases and kidney issues, further straining the already fragile health system. Displaced communities report growing sickness, especially among children who are more vulnerable to contaminated water sources.

Yet, amid the bleakness, there are some glimmers of hope. The NRC has been working on the ground to restore and improve access to safe water. In Abyan governorate, they rehabilitated the main water well in Gawl Al-Saddah camp and installed water tanks, significantly easing access. In other regions like Marib, Taiz, and Amran, NRC teams have repaired broken water sources, set up elevated storage tanks, and harnessed solar power to pump water to communities in need.

Ahmed, a displaced father in Marib, spoke of the transformative impact: “No one can imagine the happiness of the children and adults when the water reached the camp. Now we have enough clean water, and refilling is no longer a burden.”

In 2024 alone, NRC has provided over 52,000 people with access to safe drinking water and sanitation. But these efforts are at risk of stalling. The organization warns that major cuts to humanitarian funding are threatening the continuation of life-saving work.

The numbers are grim. Yemen’s 2025 Humanitarian Response Plan is only 13% funded as of mid-July. And just 10% of the funds needed specifically for water and sanitation projects have been secured. Without urgent donor action, the NRC and other aid groups will be forced to scale back — or even halt — operations at a time when they are most needed.

Yemen is not only facing a water crisis — it is facing a double emergency. Food insecurity is expected to worsen between September 2025 and February 2026, with over 18 million people projected to fall into Crisis levels or worse. Now, with access to clean water shrinking too, the potential for mass suffering and disease outbreaks looms even larger.

The warning from the NRC is clear: the international community must act now. “Due to cuts to humanitarian funding by many major donors, we are deeply concerned these needs will continue to be unmet,” said Caredda. “Donors must act swiftly to reverse these cuts and enable Yemenis to access the most basic lifeline of all – safe water.”

Water may seem like a basic resource in many parts of the world, but in Yemen, it is rapidly becoming a luxury — one that millions can no longer afford. Without urgent intervention, the consequences will be deadly.