Siege Disrupts Vaccination Campaigns in Taiz, Depriving 347,000 Children of Vaccines
The Public Health and Population Office in Taiz governorate has warned of serious health repercussions from the continued siege imposed by the Houthi group on the governorate, stressing that the disruption of vaccine supplies and the halt of immunization campaigns threaten hundreds of thousands of children with preventable diseases.
In a statement on Saturday, the office said that the ongoing siege has led to the suspension of vaccination campaigns against measles and German measles, depriving about 347,000 targeted children of vaccines and increasing the risk of outbreaks of vaccine-preventable diseases.
It added that the disruption of routine vaccine supplies also threatens to deprive about 72,500 children under the age of one of essential vaccinations, exposing them to serious health complications and preventable deaths.
The Health Office warned that the continuation of this situation undermines health security in the governorate and threatens the health gains achieved in recent years, amid difficulties facing the health system in providing basic care and protecting children from diseases.
The office condemned the continuation of the siege and the resulting deprivation of civilians, especially children, of health services and life-saving vaccines, demanding its immediate lifting to ensure the safe and sustainable arrival of medical supplies and vaccines.
It also called on the international community, the World Health Organization (WHO), and the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), to intervene urgently to provide vaccines and support the resumption of immunization campaigns in the governorate.
The office stressed that saving the children of Taiz requires ending the siege, ensuring the flow of vaccines, and resuming immunization programs without delay, warning that their continued disruption could lead to irreversible health consequences.
Source: Saba Net
