Years of war and instability lead to institutional collapse depriving Yemen of clean water – report

A report by the Sana'a Center for Strategic Studies and the Arab Reform Initiative indicates that years of conflict and instability have left 15.4 million Yemenis without clean water and 17.4 million without adequate sanitation. This situation creates conditions for public health crises, exacerbated by the targeting of critical infrastructure like desalination plants during the ongoing war. The report highlights that "water injustice in Yemen is not only about scarcity but also about power, regulation failure, and unequal distribution," disproportionately affecting women, marginalized groups, and displaced communities. While influential individuals exploit weak governance to deplete resources, many Yemenis resort to consuming polluted water due to the high cost of safe alternatives. The crisis, worsened by the 2014 civil war which damaged 40% of water infrastructure, has led to a proliferation of local NGOs attempting to fill gaps left by withdrawing international donors and declining state institutions.