In Yemen, maternal and newborn health remains a pressing concern. For many women – particularly those living in remote or crisis-affected areas – access to skilled birth attendants and emergency obstetric care is limited, often with devastating consequences. As a result, maternal and neonatal mortality rates remain unacceptably high.

Against this backdrop, midwives like Anisa in Kood Al-Nash village (Abyan Governorate), Sediqah in Maqatirah district (Lahj Governorate), and Amoon in Khanfir district (Abyan Governorate) are not just healthcare providers—they are lifelines.

This year, the International Day of the Midwife carries a theme that rings especially true in Yemen: Midwives: Critical in Every Crisis. Their stories are proof of just how powerful that presence can be.

From bare rooms to lifesaving clinics

For years, Anisa delivered babies in near darkness in the village of Kood Al-Nash: “Sometimes, I had to deliver babies on the floor using only the light of a candle,” she recalls.

The absence of basic equipment and lighting left her unable to respond to emergencies, often having to turn women away with a heavy heart.

Sediqah faced similar constraints in Maqatirah village. “I worked with very limited resources… no equipment, no beds, and an unsafe delivery space,” she explains.

During emergencies, her only option was to refer women to distant hospitals, and many families simply couldn’t afford the risk or the cost.

Amoon, too, remembers the days she could offer little more than first aid. “There was no sterilization device, electricity, or oxygen cylinder,” she says. Her clinic’s remote location only compounded the barriers women faced when trying to access safe care.

Women in these communities faced long, dangerous journeys to reach the nearest hospital.

“It wasn’t just the distance, it was the cost of transportation, hospital delivery fees, road conditions, and the fear of traveling at night,” Anisa explains. “Some women even faced attacks from stray dogs along the way.”

The risks were not just inconvenient or dangerous, they were life-threatening.

Today, all three women have fully equipped, solar-powered clinics with delivery beds, suction devices, sterilization tools, and dedicated areas for consultation and care. The impact has been profound and widely felt.

Today, Anisa delivers five to six babies each month, three times more than she was able to in the past. She also offers basic medical checkups that have improved residents’ daily life

“With proper equipment, I no longer feel powerless,” says Anisa. “I can finally do my job safely.”

A lifeline for women

Across these communities, women are no longer giving birth in fear. Fatimah, a patient at Sediqah’s clinic, explains, “Before, we traveled far, and sometimes babies were lost on the road. Now, with this clinic, babies are doing well; even those who were born without oxygen can be saved.”

Sahar, another patient, adds, “When I was told my baby was late and might be born in distress, Sadiqah reassured me and saved my baby’s life. We feel safe with her.”

In Amoon’s village, care has become proactive rather than reactive. “Women used to give birth without planning or medical guidance,” she says. “Now, they come for follow-ups, blood pressure checks, and to have their weight monitored. That has changed outcomes and trust.”

A ripple effect

Each midwife has gone on to provide more than safe deliveries. They now offer prenatal checkups, screen for anemia, and in some cases, employ other women in the clinic. They are also calling for greater support to expand services like ultrasounds and in-clinic pharmacies, so that fewer women will need to travel for diagnostics and medications.

“When you equip a midwife,” Sediqah says, “you’re not just helping her, you’re helping an entire village.”

The Midwives Support Programme has already improved maternal health outcomes in multiple rural communities. But perhaps the most powerful result is not only safer births, but stronger, more self-reliant communities.

Project Overview

The Emergency Social Protection Enhancement and COVID-19 Response Project (ESPECRP) empowers rural midwives by providing financial and technical support to establish and sustain local micro clinics. The programme is implemented by the United Nations Development Programme, with local partner the Small and Micro Enterprise Promotion Service (SMEPS) in partnership, and thanks to funding and support from the World Bank’s International Development Association.