1,400 children suspected to have measles across war-torn Yemen, UN agency says
Fifteen children died from the deadly measles disease in war-torn Yemen this year, according to the UN children’s agency.
In a statement, UNICEF said around 1,400 children in seven Yemeni provinces, including the southern Aden province "were suspected of having measles" in the period between January and July.
The statement said UNICEF and their partners helped the Yemeni health authorities "to target children ages 0-10 for polio vaccination and 6-month to 10-year-olds with measles vaccines.”
"Measles is a highly contagious viral disease that is prevalent in children. Measles causes painful skin rashes, sore eyes, fever, stiff muscles, and severe coughing for almost everyone who contracts the virus," UNICEF explained.
Yemen has been mired by chaos and violence since September 2014 when Houthi rebels captured much of the country, including the capital, Sanaa. A military coalition led by Saudi Arabia entered the war in early 2015 to restore the government to power.
The eight-year conflict has created one of the worst humanitarian crises in the world, with millions risking starvation.
