IOM Leads Efforts to Include Migrants in Yemen’s Cholera Vaccination Campaign

Yemen 

As Yemen grapples with an ongoing cholera outbreak, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) is playing a pivotal role in supporting a nationwide oral cholera vaccination campaign launched on Saturday (07/12) by the Ministry of Public Health and Population in collaboration with United Nations agencies and humanitarian health partners.

This weeklong initiative aims to vaccinate 3.8 million people across six governorates – Lahj, Taiz, Aden, Al-Dhale, Abyan, and Marib – providing lifesaving protection to some of the country’s most vulnerable populations.

Yemen has been struggling with repeated cholera outbreaks since 2016, and while the situation in 2024 remains dire, the inclusion of migrants in the national response marks a significant step forward towards a more inclusive public health system for people on the move.

“Despite limited funding and a strained health system, IOM continues to provide essential health services to Yemen’s most vulnerable, including migrants,” said Abdusattor Esoev, IOM’s Chief of Mission in Yemen. “We must ensure that every individual, regardless of their status, has access to the care they need. By including migrants in the vaccination campaign, we are protecting those at risk, preventing the spread of cholera, and saving lives.”

As the crisis deepens, cholera continues to pose a significant public health threat, further exacerbated by ongoing conflict, economic instability, inadequate sanitation infrastructure, and climate-related challenges such as flooding and heavy rains, which contaminate water supplies and accelerate the spread of the disease. In 2024 alone, the outbreak has claimed hundreds of lives and resulted in 240,000 suspected cases.

Despite ongoing funding challenges for humanitarian organizations, IOM continues to be one of the few partners responding to the cholera and acute watery diarrhea crisis, with a particular focus on migrants, who have often been excluded from national health efforts.

Through its network of Migrant Response Points, mobile medical teams, and public health facilities, IOM is ensuring that migrants receive the cholera vaccine, with outreach teams deployed to key gathering points and conducting door-to-door visits to increase vaccination coverage. To ensure the success of the vaccination efforts and help combat vaccine hesitancy and misinformation, IOM has also mobilized migrant volunteers, community leaders, and community health volunteers.

IOM’s response to the cholera outbreak includes delivering cholera vaccines, providing staff incentives, supplying essential medicines and medical supplies, training medical and non-medical staff, and supporting treatment and rehydration points across Yemen. The Organization has also provided direct support for the establishment and operation of Cholera Treatment Centers and Oral Rehydration Points in eight governorates, ensuring that affected populations have access to timely and effective treatment.

The IOM-led outreach efforts are a crucial part of the broader national cholera response. IOM has been working closely with the Ministry of Public Health and Population, the Health and Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) clusters, and other partners to provide comprehensive support to Yemen’s cholera response and help reduce the spread of this deadly disease.

IOM’s cholera response in Yemen is supported by EU Humanitarian Aid (ECHO), USAID’s Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance (BHA), the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), and the German Federal Foreign Office (GFFO).

For more information, please contact:

Monica Chiriac, Media and Communications Officer: mchiriac@iom.int 
IOM Yemen’s Communications Team: iomyemenmediacomm@iom.int