A Tattered Net: Advancing Referrals for Humanitarian and Social Protection Services in Yemen

In fragile contexts, stronger referral mechanisms for food security and basic needs would support more coherent, scalable systems to tailor assistance for immediate needs and longer-term vulnerabilities. Thus, while Yemen’s humanitarian crisis affects over 19 million people, referrals by cash-based programmes for continued basic needs and food security to households are underdeveloped from the perspective of either humanitarian or development social assistance. Recent research by the BRIGHTLY project in Yemen explores these programme-and-systems-level challenges. Findings include design contradictions, misaligned funding cycles, fragmented targeting and data management systems, coordination that focuses on better rationing, not integration, and micro-to-macro level political barriers. The study finds evidence of better practice and pockets of excellence, but that structural challenges will not be easily overcome.