Yemen Activates Emergency Response as Measles Outbreak Claims Dozens of Young Lives

Yemen’s health authorities have activated an emergency response to contain a rapidly spreading measles outbreak that has killed dozens of children across multiple governorates. The surge in cases, driven by low vaccination rates and disrupted healthcare services amid ongoing conflict, has overwhelmed medical facilities and prompted urgent intervention from international aid organizations.

Outbreak Triggers Nationwide Alert

As of early 2025, Yemen has reported a significant increase in measles cases, with health officials in Marib governorate recording 663 suspected cases since January, 70 of which were laboratory-confirmed. Tragically, ten children have died from the disease in Marib alone. Nationwide, the World Health Organization (WHO) has documented over 34,000 suspected measles and rubella cases and 413 deaths as of July 2023, signaling a prolonged and worsening public health emergency.

The outbreak is particularly severe in Dhamar governorate, where Médecins Sans Frontières/Doctors Without Borders (MSF) has launched a rapid response in collaboration with Yemen’s Ministry of Health. Since April, MSF teams have been providing medical care to children affected by measles in Dhamar, focusing on treatment and containment efforts at facilities such as Al-Wahda hospital in Ma’bar city.

Root Causes Fueling the Crisis

Several interconnected factors are driving the measles resurgence in Yemen:

• Ongoing conflict and displacement: More than a decade of war has devastated Yemen’s healthcare infrastructure, displaced millions of families, and created overcrowded living conditions that facilitate disease transmission.
• Critically low immunization rates: Approximately 27% of children under one year of age in Yemen remain unvaccinated against measles and rubella, leaving a large cohort vulnerable to infection.
• Funding shortfalls for vaccination programs: Limited financial support has restricted immunization campaigns to children under five, leaving older children without protection and hindering efforts to achieve herd immunity.
• Breakdown of preventive healthcare: Routine immunization services have been disrupted across many governorates, delaying or preventing vaccine delivery to remote and conflict-affected areas.

These conditions have created an environment where preventable diseases like measles can spread rapidly, especially among children under five, who are at highest risk of severe complications such as pneumonia, encephalitis, and death.

Human Impact: Families in Distress

The toll on Yemeni families has been profound. In Dhamar, parents recount bringing their critically ill children to treatment centers after hearing of available care, often traveling long distances only to find their children unresponsive upon arrival.

One father described his experience with his twelve-month-old daughter, Amira, who arrived at Al-Wahda hospital’s isolation ward appearing lifeless. After receiving care from MSF medical staff, she recovered — a outcome he described as unexpected given her initial condition.

Such stories are increasingly common as families struggle to access timely medical intervention amid widespread anxiety over their children’s health. Many report initially believing their children would not survive, only to find hope through emergency care provided by humanitarian organizations.

International Response and Ongoing Challenges

Organizations including MSF and WHO are supporting Yemen’s emergency response through case management, surveillance, and vaccination campaigns. Rapid response teams are actively monitoring, investigating, and following up on infected cases to limit further transmission.

Still, sustaining these efforts remains challenging due to persistent insecurity, limited access to certain areas, and competing humanitarian needs. Health officials emphasize that long-term control of the outbreak depends on restoring routine immunization services, closing vaccination gaps, and strengthening community engagement in prevention efforts.

As Yemen continues to face one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises, the measles outbreak serves as a stark reminder of the critical importance of vaccination and resilient health systems in protecting vulnerable populations — particularly children — from preventable diseases.