UN Women Yemen Launches New Brief on the Impact of Flooding on Women and Girls

[Press release]

Aden – UN Women Yemen, in coordination with the Gender in Humanitarian Action (GiHA) Working Group, has launched a new brief titled “When the Waters Rise, Women Fall Further”, highlighting the unequal impacts of recurrent flooding on women and girls in Yemen.

The brief draws on primary data collected through 19 interviews with women and community members in the governorates of Taiz, Abyan, Aden, Lahj and Hadramaut, alongside an institutional interview with the Deputy Governor of Taiz for Technical Affairs. It also draws on a review of available data and studies, as well as consultations with humanitarian partners and women-led organizations.

The brief shows that flooding in Yemen does not affect everyone equally. Instead, it exacerbates existing inequalities and increases the risks faced by women and girls, including protection and gender-based violence risks, difficulties accessing health services, unsafe shelter and water, sanitation and hygiene conditions, loss of livelihoods, disruption to girls’ education, psychosocial distress, and limited participation of women in early warning and disaster preparedness systems.

The interview findings indicate that 100% of participants reported feeling less safe since the floods, while 100% reported increased difficulty accessing healthcare. Meanwhile, 89% reported an increase in illness or health problems within their households. 84% reported that there were no early warning systems in place prior to the floods, while 74% reported that women were not involved in preparedness processes or decision-making related to early warning systems.

The brief also highlights the economic, educational and psychosocial consequences of flooding. More than two-thirds of participants reported a loss or reduction in income, while 84% reported that households were resorting to negative coping strategies, including debt, child labour and early marriage. In addition, 74% reported that flooding negatively affected girls’ ability to access schools, while 95% reported the absence of psychosocial support services.

The brief calls for a gender-responsive humanitarian response that addresses the needs and voices of women and girls and strengthens their role and leadership in preparedness, response and recovery efforts. It also recommends strengthening protection and health services, improving the safety of shelters and water, sanitation and hygiene services, supporting livelihoods, ensuring girls’ continued access to education, expanding psychosocial support services, and increasing women’s participation in disaster preparedness and early warning planning.

The brief emphasizes that the response to flooding should not be limited to addressing physical damage. It must also address the inequalities that increase women’s and girls’ exposure to risks and ensure their meaningful participation in response, recovery and preparedness efforts for future shocks.

Read the full brief: https://arabstates.unwomen.org/en/digital-library/publications/2026/09/when-the-waters-rise-women-fall-further