YEMEN

The Crisis

Malaria is one of the most serious health problems in Yemen. Approximately 60% of the population lives in areas with malaria transmission.  P. falciparum accounts for more than 90% of malaria cases. Social unrest during the 1990s brought about almost a complete halt to malaria control activities in the country, resulting in a serious deterioration of the malaria situation. The instability, in addition to climatic changes and heavy rainfalls, coupled with growing drug resistance to Chloroquine, the first line of therapy used for uncomplicated malaria across the country, contributed to malaria epidemics in 1996 and 1998.  The northern governorates where there is high malaria transmission and internal displacement is greatest is burdened a weakened health system with malaria cases.

Refugees from Somalia come from a country where Malaria transmission varies from low to medium malaria transmission and is generally higher in the south central zone near the rivers of Juba and Shabelle with a decrease in intensity further north in the country. Refugees coming from the northern half of Somalia may therefore have little immunity to malaria infection and be at significant risk living in the coastal to mountainous areas of Yemen, where transmission is high. This situation is a significant risk factor for malaria and may cause a higher burden of malaria amongst refugees than Yemeni and may put at risk non immune older refugee children and adults as well as young children. In the worse case malaria epidemics may occur and would likely result in high mortality in the refugee areas.