Yemeni medical sources in Houthi-controlled areas warned on Saturday of a health catastrophe facing the country as the militias continue to prevent vaccinations for deadly childhood diseases.
The sources said that medical facilities, including in Sanaa, recorded hundreds of polio, measles, and smallpox cases.
Medical sources in Sanaa told Asharq Al-Awsat that several epidemic diseases that Yemen eradicated have re-emerged.
Estimates of medical sources indicate that thousands of children are infected with these diseases, which can be prevented with vaccines.
The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) stated that last December, 15 children died from measles, and around 1,400 children in seven Yemeni provinces, including the southern Aden province, "were suspected of having measles" in the period between January and July.
The Houthi Ministry of Health recorded more than 18,000 cases of measles during the past year, as 131 children died.
Three doctors in the Houthi-controlled areas told Asharq Al-Awsat that the country is on the verge of a health disaster if the militias continue to prevent vaccinations and portray them as a Western conspiracy in schools, mosques, and their media.
The sources said that the militia leader, Abdul-Malik al-Houthi, participated in the campaign targeting vaccines and claimed that the US and its supporters spread the diseases and various viruses. He also claimed they sell unsafe medicines and vaccines, which cause health complications.
Houthi Minister of Health, Taha al-Mutawakel, said the vaccine is not mandatory and that whoever insists on requesting vaccines must bear responsibility.
The Yemeni Ministry of Health in the internationally recognized government denounced sponsoring such myths, warning that it threatens children's future. It warned that such claims undermine the safety of Yemenis and the lives and future of their children.
The International President of Doctors without Borders, Christos Christou, confirmed that Yemen is witnessing a rise in the rates of preventable diseases.
During his visit to a hospital in Makha, Christou noted that patients needing care are having difficulty accessing services due to insecurity.
He noted an increase in preventable diseases, and a growing challenge for people in accessing health care.
The official pledged that these issues would be at the heart of his talks with the authorities in the country.
Christo warned that insecurity makes access difficult for patients needing care and humanitarian organizations, calling for the protection of medical facilities, ambulances, healthcare workers, patients, and their caregivers.
