Barran Press
On September 23, 2024, Yemen's Ministry of Public Health and Population announced preparations for a cholera vaccination campaign and readiness to address monkeypox and malnutrition cases along the western coast. The ministry also highlighted the funding gaps for health services resulting from suspending the Human Capital Project.
This announcement came during a comprehensive meeting of the National Committee for Health Emergency Coordination, chaired by Minister Qasim Buhibeh, in the temporary capital of Aden.
The committee reviewed various issues related to its operations, assessed previous expenditures, and examined the current health situation in the country. Buhibeh emphasized the importance of collaborative efforts and teamwork in executing the committee's tasks and closely monitoring their implementation.
On September 10, 2024, Buhibeh warned of significant risks facing Yemen's health sector due to declining international funding and the Yemeni government's dwindling financial resources, exacerbated by Houthi restrictions on oil exports through Yemeni ports.
According to UNICEF, as of August 27, 2024, cholera has claimed 668 lives in Yemen, with over 172,000 suspected cases reported since the beginning of the year. The agency noted that more than 1,500 cases of acute watery diarrhea and suspected cholera have been reported daily in recent weeks.
Additionally, following the World Health Organization's declaration on August 14 of monkeypox's spread outside Africa as a "global health emergency," the Yemeni government has mobilized health sectors to combat the outbreak, which the WHO has classified at the highest alert level.