The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the World Health Organization have launched a campaign to vaccinate about 1.3 million children under the age of five against polio in 12 Yemeni governorates.
The UN statement clarified that the campaign comes in response to the outbreak of type 2 poliovirus, which has so far led to the paralysis of 237 children across Yemen.
Dr. Arturo Pesigan, the World Health Organization’s representative in Yemen, said, “We know it is not enough to just tell parents why it is important to vaccinate their children. We need to improve access to vaccination in Yemen, where parents are struggling with conflict, economic crisis, and very limited public infrastructure and health services. We need to make the vaccination process easier,” noting, “We have worked closely with the Ministry of Public Health and Population to ensure the vaccine reaches every household in every community in these 12 governorates.”
Peter Hawkins, UNICEF’s representative in Yemen, stated, “Vaccination provides the much-needed protection against polio for Yemen’s children, in one of the most challenging contexts in the world. Teams are working around the clock to train vaccinators and ensure the operation of cold rooms and solar refrigerators, and to place cool boxes to keep the vaccine cold from the moment it arrives in Yemen until it reaches every girl and boy under the age of five.”
The vaccination campaign in Yemen is part of the global efforts to eradicate the poliovirus, led by the Global Polio Eradication Initiative.
It is worth mentioning that polio is a highly infectious viral disease that invades the nervous system and can cause total paralysis within hours. According to the United Nations, the initial symptoms of the disease include fever, fatigue, headache, vomiting, stiffness in the neck, and pain in the limbs. Between 5% and 10% of those paralyzed by the disease die because their respiratory muscles fail to function. There is no known cure for polio, but it can be easily prevented through vaccination.
The humanitarian crisis in Yemen is one of the world’s largest, significantly impacting the lives of over 11 million children who require some form of humanitarian assistance. The conflict, ongoing for eight years, has pushed the country’s socioeconomic systems to the brink of collapse, with families facing vulnerability due to conflict, large-scale displacement, and recurring climate shocks. This situation has increased the spread of communicable diseases, as millions of children lack access to essential services like safe water, sanitation, and hygiene. The country has also seen regular outbreaks of cholera, measles, diphtheria, and other vaccine-preventable diseases.
Children are particularly affected by the crisis, with thousands having been killed or maimed since the conflict began. Additionally, thousands of children have been recruited into the fighting. The ongoing situation has escalated the need for mental health and psychosocial services, given the widespread conflict, misery, and grief. Children and women are increasingly vulnerable to exploitation, violence, abuse, child labor, recruitment into conflict, domestic and gender-based violence, child marriage, and psychosocial distress. Malnutrition is another critical issue, with over 2 million children suffering from acute malnutrition, including more than 540,000 with severe acute malnutrition, a potentially life-threatening condition without urgent treatment. The conflict has also led to the damage and closure of schools and hospitals, disrupting access to education and health services, leaving over 2.7 million children out of school and thus more vulnerable.
