IOM in Haradh on the Yemen-Saudi Arabia border yesterday took
delivery of a consignment of essential medicines and medical
supplies donated by the Italian government aid agency –
Cooperazione Italiana.

The consignment was part of a 35-tonne Italian donation of
medicine, high-energy biscuits and blankets destined for
conflict-displaced people and stranded migrants in Yemen, which
included three supplementary health kits – each designed to
treat a population of 10,000 people for three months. 

IOM is working closely with Yemen’s Ministry of Health and
Executive Unit for Internally Displaced Persons to distribute part
of the aid in Haradh, Abyan and Al-Jawf governorates. 

The Haradh delivery came at a critical time when some 3,000
migrants, mainly from the Horn of Africa and stranded en route to
Saudi Arabia, are struggling with an outbreak of dengue hemorrhagic
fever spread by mosquitoes in the town and its
surroundings. 

The outbreak has spread due to lack of shelter and mosquito
nets, and malnutrition among the migrants, which weakens their
immune systems.

IOM’s Haradh clinic and partner hospitals have treated 76
people for the disease since the beginning of April, two of whom
subsequently died from dengue shock syndrome. 

IOM is working closely with the Ministry of Public Health and
the WHO in Haradh to contain the outbreak. 

IOM Haradh has also received its first referral of land mine
injuries among migrants. Three people tried to enter Saudi Arabia
through Sa’ada governorate, which is littered with land mines
as a result of fighting between the Houthi clan and government
forces. Two of the three were severely injured and all three are
currently being treated by MSF. 

In March IOM was forced to suspend its assisted voluntary return
programme for stranded migrants in Haradh due to lack of funding.
The project helped over 6,000 stranded Ethiopian migrants to fly
home. 

For more information please contact: 

Dr. Teresa Zakaria

IOM Yemen

Email: "mailto:tzakaria@iom.int">tzakaria@iom.int

Tel. +967-736700311