UN agency says more than 13,000 pregnant women in Yemen's Taiz lack essential healthcare

The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) said that more than 13,000 pregnant women in and around the Yemeni city of Taiz lack essential healthcare. Reuters and Anadolu Agency both reported the statement.

Both agencies credit the figure to the UNFPA. Neither outlet, in the reports reviewed by Vocemundi, describes verifying the number independently.

Reported causes and effects

According to Reuters, the UNFPA attributed the lack of essential healthcare to fighting and access restrictions in and around the city.

Reuters also reported that the UNFPA said the fighting and access restrictions are leading to more miscarriages.

Anadolu Agency reported the figure of more than 13,000 women. Its report, as reviewed by Vocemundi, does not include these stated causes.

What is disputed

The reports reviewed by Vocemundi do not describe any party challenging the UNFPA's figure or its account of the causes.

What each side says

The UNFPA says fighting and access restrictions in and around Taiz have left more than 13,000 pregnant women without essential healthcare. According to Reuters, the agency says these conditions are leading to more miscarriages.

The reports do not include responses from any party to the conflict in Yemen. They also do not include responses from local health authorities.

What is not known

The reports reviewed by Vocemundi are headlines and short summaries. Vocemundi could not review the full text of either report.

The reports do not include the original UNFPA statement or document. They do not give its date or say how it was issued.

The reports do not describe how the UNFPA reached the figure of more than 13,000. They do not say what period the figure covers.

The reports do not include any figures on the number or rate of miscarriages. They include only the UNFPA's statement, as reported by Reuters, that miscarriages are increasing.

The reports do not identify which parties are involved in the fighting around Taiz. They also do not say who is imposing the access restrictions.

The reports do not describe which services count as "essential healthcare." They do not mention any actions or funding the UNFPA is requesting.

Analysis

The UNFPA's figure points to a significant gap in maternal care around Taiz, but key details remain unclear. Without the original statement, its methodology or the period it covers, the scale and trend are hard to assess. The reported link between access restrictions and miscarriages comes from a single agency's account and lacks supporting data in the reports reviewed. If the UNFPA or health authorities release fuller data, the picture could become clearer. Responses from parties to the conflict could also clarify who controls access and whether conditions might change. For now, the claims rest on one original source.

Produced by the Vocemundi newsroom with AI assistance.