2023-10-07 15:59:56
UN reports showed that the rate of measles infection in Yemen had risen to 260 percent, with most of it recorded in Houthi-controlled areas, in parallel with the expansion of hunger and the deterioration of health and education.
While the legitimate Yemeni government, which has Aden as its temporary capital, continues a comprehensive vaccination campaign against measles in areas under its control, international data showed that the majority of recorded cases of the disease are concentrated in governorates under the control of the Houthis, who continue to prevent comprehensive vaccination campaigns and limit access to vaccines. On some fixed health centers.
This came at a time when more than a third of the Yemeni population is suffering from severe hunger, amid the deterioration of the health and education sectors, in addition to the need for more than 8 million children for humanitarian assistance, according to what was reported by the international organization Oxfam.
More than 40,000 measles cases have been recorded in Yemen since the beginning of the year (United Nations)
The United States Agency for International Development stated in its latest report that Yemen is witnessing a significant increase in cases of measles and rubella, and explained that 60 percent of the suspected cases were recorded in the governorates controlled by the Houthis.
The agency confirmed that the anti-vaccine campaign led by the Houthis “contributed significantly to the spread of measles and other diseases that could have been prevented with vaccines,” noting that taking vaccines is currently limited to some fixed health centers, as the Houthis prevent the implementation of a comprehensive vaccination campaign from home. To a house in their areas of control.
40 thousand infections
According to World Health Organization data, about 40,130 suspected cases of measles and rubella were reported throughout Yemen during the period from January 1 to September 26, with 362 deaths related to the disease recorded.
Diseases and epidemics are one of the means of the race in Yemen to kill Yemeni children and reduce the number of non-race populations. Today #Measles It claims the lives of children in Saada, Hajjah, Amran and Ibb. But what is suspicious is that this epidemic has not reached the children of the breed! Does the breed secretly give vaccines to its children?#Houthi_Persian pic.twitter.com/c9qTg9cG8Q
– Abdulkafi Murshid (@abdulkafi9151) October 3, 2023
The organization stated that measles cases during the first nine months of this year constitute more than double the number of cases recorded during the same period last year.
According to these data, the number of infections rose this year by 260 percent above the levels recorded during the previous year, while data from the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) showed that more than 80 percent of children suffering from suspected measles cases did not receive During this year, a dose of the vaccine is given, which shows the significant increase in infection with the disease, especially among children, according to UNICEF.
8.5 million children in Yemen need humanitarian aid (United Nations)
The report attributed the rise in cases of vaccine-preventable diseases to “the extreme weakness in the health care system as a result of 9 years of conflict, continued economic deterioration, and restrictions imposed by the parties to the conflict.”
The report stated that all of these factors worked to limit vulnerable populations’ access to humanitarian assistance, including health care services, leading families to adopt negative coping mechanisms and increase exposure to preventable diseases.
Hunger is expanding
The international organization Oxfam reported that extreme hunger in Yemen is on the rise one year after the end of the humanitarian truce, as more than a third of the country’s population suffers from extreme hunger, as malnutrition rates among children are among the highest in the world, and called on all parties to the conflict. To strive to achieve sustainable and comprehensive peace.
The organization called on donors to fulfill their pledges related to humanitarian aid. She said that since the outbreak of the war, Yemen has constituted one of the worst humanitarian crises in the world, with more than 21 million people, or two-thirds of the population, in need of humanitarian assistance. The conflict has also led to thousands of victims and pushed more than 4 million to flee their homes, It caused an economic collapse.
The humanitarian response is suffering #Yemen From a severe lack of funding. The health sector received only 7% of the amount required to meet the necessary needs, while education was funded with only 2%. The number of people facing hunger levels in the country is expected to rise.
— Oxfam in MENA (@OxfamMENA) October 2, 2023
Oxfam praised the temporary truce and said that it represented a ray of hope for millions of Yemenis, as the number of casualties due to the fighting decreased by 60 percent, which facilitated access to basic services. But she stated that political uncertainty has hampered the country’s recovery.
She confirmed that the Yemeni economy is suffering from a major deterioration, as the rates of currency depreciation have increased. Due to inflation, food prices have doubled, and many Yemenis are no longer able to buy their basic food needs.
The Houthis prevented immunization campaigns from house to house, causing the spread of epidemic diseases (United Nations)
According to the organization, about 8.5 million children need humanitarian assistance and face a daily threat. Due to food shortages, worsening diseases, displacement, and severe difficulty in accessing basic social services.
Data distributed by Oxfam indicate that funding for the health response currently does not exceed only 7 percent, while the educational sector is funded by only 2 percent.
She considered that the current situation “depicts the worst,” and expected that the number of people facing levels of hunger in crises or emergencies would rise by 20 percent, noting that there are 78,000 people “actually living in the emergency stage of extreme hunger according to the international classification,” in addition to There are 2.2 million children under the age of five who need urgent treatment for acute malnutrition, one of the highest rates in the world.
An awareness campaign among government school students about the importance of vaccines (Yemeni government media)
This data showed that nearly a third of families suffer from gaps in their diets, and rarely consume foods such as legumes, vegetables, fruits, dairy products or meat.
The organization’s data showed that only young children eat 3 meals a day, and families in Yemen are suffering from the effects of climate change, as periods of drought and heavy rains have destroyed crops, homes, and livelihoods. It is likely that more climate shocks will occur as the rainy season continues, in light of the deterioration of infrastructure that is not equipped to deal with floods.
The organization stressed that Yemenis need a sustainable and comprehensive peace more than ever before. She said that all parties to the conflict, including the international community, must renew efforts to achieve peace and rebuild the country. She believed that paying salaries, reopening vital roads, and developing a plan to rebuild the economy should be central to any future peace agreement.
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