ADEN: Yemen’s legitimate government has warned of an impending public health crisis that could threaten millions of children in Houthi-controlled areas, urging the international community to act urgently to ensure the delivery of life-saving vaccines.
It said restrictions on immunization programs have deprived nearly 5 million children of routine vaccinations, raising fears of renewed outbreaks of previously contained childhood diseases, particularly polio, measles, and diphtheria.
The Ministry of Public Health and Population said the continued disruption of vaccination programs and interference in the work of humanitarian organizations were widening immunity gaps among children.
It warned that the consequences could extend beyond Yemen’s borders if restrictions on vaccine access persist.
The warning coincided with growing complaints from residents of the Houthi-held capital, Sanaa, and other areas under the group’s control over the disappearance of childhood vaccines from health centers after years of suspended door-to-door immunization campaigns.
