UNICEF halts Yemen vaccine deliveries, endangering five million children

Yemen’s Houthi‑controlled areas have run out of vaccines, forcing parents to travel for immunisations. Mirsal Adel, a 47‑year‑old accountant from Ibb, tried to vaccinate his five‑year‑old son but found no shots at the local clinic. He said he had to drive 75 kilometres to Taiz, a government‑held city, where vaccines are still available, paying about $100 for the trip.

The shortage began after UNICEF stopped delivering vaccines in October 2025. The UN children’s agency halted operations in Houthi‑controlled territory following the detention of dozens of staff and raids on its offices. The last shipment of vaccines reached Yemen’s Houthi‑held capital, Sanaa, on 4 September 2025, and the Health Ministry confirmed that almost five million children in those areas have been cut off from routine immunisations. The war that started in 2014 has repeatedly disrupted aid flows, and the recent surge in fighting since July has made it harder for humanitarian teams to reach remote communities.

Health officials say only 59.3 percent of Yemen’s health facilities remain fully functional, and overall vaccination coverage stood at 63 percent before the recent exhaustion of supplies. Those figures are likely lower now, as the last available vaccines have been exhausted and door‑to‑door teams have been suspended. Adel, who works as a treasurer at a local company, says the sudden change means “getting a reliable vaccine now costs a lot.” He hopes that vaccines will soon be available locally again, but for now families must bear the cost and risk of travel.

The gap in immunisation coverage threatens to reverse gains made in child health and could spark outbreaks of preventable diseases such as polio and pneumonia. Humanitarian groups are urging the international community to restore vaccine deliveries and support local vaccination teams. Without urgent action, millions of Yemen’s children remain vulnerable to illnesses that could have been prevented with routine shots.