PM2.5 stands for particulate matter 2.5 microns or smaller. These particles are 30 times thinner than a human hair and come from car exhaust, power plants, wildfires, and burning fuel. They are small enough to bypass your body's natural defenses and enter your bloodstream.

How does air pollution affect the body?

Air pollution affects virtually every organ in the body. PM2.5 particles enter your lungs, pass into your bloodstream, and travel to your heart, brain, kidneys, liver, and other organs. This causes chronic inflammation, increasing risks of heart disease, stroke, lung cancer, dementia, and many other conditions.

How many people are affected by air pollution?

99% of the global population breathes air that exceeds WHO safety guidelines. Air pollution kills approximately 8 million people every year—more than AIDS, malaria, and tuberculosis combined.

Yemen's Hadramawt Air Pollution Report

Overview

Air Pollution in Hadramawt

Hadramawt faces significant air pollution challenges. 100% of districts exceed the WHO guideline for clean air. This is putting 3.5 million across 30 districts at risk.

The average PM2.5 over 2023 was 14µg/m³. That's 2.8 times the WHO guideline for clean air of 5µg/m³.

This is equivalent of everybody, including children, smoking about 232 cigarettes in a year.

Trends

Air Quality Trend

Annual PM2.5 levels from 2014 to 2023. The WHO guideline for safe air is 5 µg/m³.

Health Impact

Life Expectancy Impact

If Hadramawt met the WHO guideline of 5 µg/m³, the average person would live 0.88 years longer.

That's 3.1M years of life stolen from 3.5 million people. Years of watching children grow up. Years of building a career. Years of quiet mornings and celebrations.

Lives cut short. Breathing kills.

Most Polluted

Districts with Highest Pollution

The top 10 most polluted districts in Hadramawt. These areas face the greatest health burden from air pollution.

1.Ghayl Ba Wazir
1.4 years lost
2.Zamakh wa Manwakh
1.1 years lost
3.Rumah
1 years lost
4.Thamud
1 years lost
5.Yabuth
1 years lost
6.Sayun
1 years lost
7.Al Abr
1 years lost
8.Tarim
0.9 years lost
9.As Sawm
0.9 years lost
10.Ash Shihr
0.9 years lost

Exposure

Population Exposure by Pollution Level

Distribution of population across different PM2.5 pollution levels. The WHO guideline is 5 µg/m³—only populations below this threshold are breathing safe air.

< 5 µg/m³

5-10 µg/m³

140K

10-15 µg/m³

90%

3.2M

15-25 µg/m³

213K

25-35 µg/m³

> 35 µg/m³

Districts

All 30 Districts in Hadramawt

Complete air quality data for every district in Hadramawt, sorted by population.

District	Population	PM2.5 µg/m³	Years Lost
Al Mukalla City	427K	13.8	0.9 years
Tarim	398K	14.6	0.9 years
Sayun	386K	14.8	1.0 years
Al Qatn	275K	14.2	0.9 years
Shibam	206K	14.1	0.9 years
Daw'an	189K	12.9	0.8 years
Wadi Al Ayn	143K	14.0	0.9 years
Ghayl Ba Wazir	142K	19.5	1.4 years
Ash Shihr	141K	14.3	0.9 years
Hidaybu	122K	8.4	0.3 years
Ar Raydah Wa Qusayar	118K	13.3	0.8 years
Adh Dhlia'ah	116K	13.4	0.8 years
Huraidhah	115K	12.9	0.8 years
Amd	104K	13.1	0.8 years
Ghayl Bin Yamin	102K	13.6	0.8 years
Sah	100K	13.2	0.8 years
Ad Dis	79K	14.1	0.9 years
Rakhyah	66K	13.3	0.8 years
Hajr	59K	14.0	0.9 years
As Sawm	57K	14.3	0.9 years
Brom Mayfa	36K	13.2	0.8 years
Yabuth	35K	15.2	1.0 years
Al Mukalla	29K	12.8	0.8 years
Rumah	19K	15.6	1.0 years
Qulensya Wa Abd Al Kuri	18K	9.3	0.4 years
Al Abr	13K	14.8	1.0 years
Hagr As Sai'ar	13K	12.2	0.7 years
Thamud	10K	15.4	1.0 years
Zamakh wa Manwakh	7K	15.8	1.1 years
Al Qaf	4K	14.2	0.9 years

Showing 30 districts, sorted by population (largest first). PM2.5 values are for 2023. Years lost calculated against WHO guideline of 5 µg/m³.

Breathing in Hadramawt is Injurious to Health.