Houthis Continue to Block Child Vaccination Campaigns as Immunization Gap Widens in Yemen

SANAA — The Houthi movement continues to obstruct mass vaccination campaigns for children in areas under its control, while escalating anti-vaccine rhetoric, raising fears of a resurgence of deadly preventable diseases amid alarming international data on Yemen’s widening immunization gap.

According to global health figures, nearly one in four Yemeni children has not received the full set of recommended vaccines, while 17 percent have not received any doses at all one of the largest immunization gaps in the Middle East and North Africa.

Residents in Sana’a told Asharq Al-Awsat that vaccines have been unavailable for nearly two months at maternal and child health centers in the capital and other Houthi-held cities. 

Some doses later appeared in private pharmacies at high prices, despite being provided free under internationally funded immunization programs. Families and medical workers described growing panic as routine vaccines disappeared from public clinics.

The Houthis had previously banned door-to-door vaccination campaigns, portraying them as part of a “Western conspiracy,” while briefly allowing limited distribution through health centers in major cities.

The International Rescue Committee (IRC) has warned of the mounting consequences of declining immunization services in Yemen, noting that more than a decade of conflict has severely strained the health system. Routine vaccination has been among the hardest-hit services.

Since 2024, the IRC has implemented a social and behavioral change strategy to counter anti-vaccine narratives. 

The approach involves equipping trusted community members with accurate information, engaging caregivers with practical tools to build confidence in vaccines, and helping donors reach more children.