Covid vaccination drive aims to protect migrants stuck in Yemen


Ali Mahmood
  • English
  • Arabic

Thousands of migrants trying to make their way through Yemen from the Horn of Africa are being vaccinated against Covid-19 by an international NGO.

The International Organisation for Migration (IMO) has resumed its inoculation campaign in the war-torn country, vaccinating the influx of people, who are predominantly from Ethiopia.

It aims to inoculate about 7,500 migrants who are scattered across southern and northern Yemen.

Migrants travel through Djibouti or Somalia to reach Yemen, hoping to eventually make it to Saudi Arabia for work.

Yehya Hayba (R) and his children, who fled fighting between Huthi rebels and the Saudi-backed government forces, stay at the al-Sumya camp for internally displaced persons (IDP) east of Marib city, the last remaining government stronghold in northern Yemen, on November 24, 2021. AFP
Yehya Hayba (R) and his children, who fled fighting between Huthi rebels and the Saudi-backed government forces, stay at the al-Sumya camp for internally displaced persons (IDP) east of Marib city, the last remaining government stronghold in northern Yemen, on November 24, 2021. AFP

But an estimated 36,000 migrants have been stranded on their journeys across Yemen because of Covid restrictions, nearly 3,500 of them in the northern region of Marib.

Many are sleeping rough or in overcrowded and unsanitary accommodation where the virus can easily spread, the IOM said.

These migrants have been the target of verbal and physical harassment, increased detention, restrictions as well as forced movement to areas far from main urban centres or services.

This is in addition to the abuses many already endure at the hands of smugglers and traffickers – among them exploitation and torture, the IOM reported earlier.

More than 138,000 migrants arrived in Yemen in 2019 and 37,533 arrived in 2020. Just under 16,350 new migrant arrivals took place from January to September last year.

Avand Hasan, an IOM programme support officer, told The National the vaccination drive began at its centres in Aden and Marib on December 15.

Eighty migrants had been vaccinated as of 31 December.

The organisation is also supporting a Covid-19 vaccination campaign through its mobile medical teams, which are trying to reach people in 34 sites for internally displaced people.

The vaccines were received from Yemen's Ministry of Public Health, Mr Hasan said.

Vaccinating people in Yemen is more challenging than in any other country, Mr Hasan said, because of the compounding crises it faces. These include an economic downturn, continuous conflict and a collapsing health system.

“The challenges are even more substantial here to get the population inoculated,” he said

The IOM is working with partners and the health authorities in Yemen to raise awareness about the effectiveness and safety of the vaccine, and to co-ordinate vaccination activities at the organisation’s clinics.

Since last April, the IOM has been bolstering efforts by the Ministry of Health to vaccinate at-risk and hard-to-reach populations.

More than 5,300 Yemeni health workers, people with chronic illnesses, elderly citizens and humanitarian frontline workers were inoculated in the first phase of vaccination at five IOM-supported health centres in the provinces of Aden and Taez.

List of alleged parties

 May 15 2020: PM and Carrie attend 'work meeting' with at
least 17 staff members

May 20 2020: PM and Carrie attend 'bring your own booze'
party

Nov 27 2020: PM gives speech at leaving do for his staff

Dec 10 2020: Staff party held by then-education secretary
Gavin Williamson

Dec 13 2020: PM and Carrie throw a flat party

Dec 14 2020: London mayor candidate Shaun Bailey holds staff party at Conservative
Party headquarters

Dec 15 2020: PM takes part in a staff quiz

Dec 18 2020: Downing Street Christmas party

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Date started: February 2017

Founders: Amira Rashad (CEO), Yusuf Saber (CTO), Mahmoud Sayedahmed (adviser), Reda Bouraoui (adviser)

Based: Dubai, UAE

Sector: E-commerce 

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Funding: approximately $6m

Investors: Beco Capital, Enabling Future and Wain in the UAE; China's MSA Capital; 500 Startups; Faith Capital and Savour Ventures in Kuwait

Roll of honour 2019-2020

Dubai Rugby Sevens

Winners: Dubai Hurricanes

Runners up: Bahrain

 

West Asia Premiership

Winners: Bahrain

Runners up: UAE Premiership

 

UAE Premiership

Winners: Dubai Exiles

Runners up: Dubai Hurricanes

 

UAE Division One

Winners: Abu Dhabi Saracens

Runners up: Dubai Hurricanes II

 

UAE Division Two

Winners: Barrelhouse

Runners up: RAK Rugby

What it means to be a conservationist

Who is Enric Sala?

Enric Sala is an expert on marine conservation and is currently the National Geographic Society's Explorer-in-Residence. His love of the sea started with his childhood in Spain, inspired by the example of the legendary diver Jacques Cousteau. He has been a university professor of Oceanography in the US, as well as working at the Spanish National Council for Scientific Research and is a member of the World Economic Forum’s Global Future Council on Biodiversity and the Bio-Economy. He has dedicated his life to protecting life in the oceans. Enric describes himself as a flexitarian who only eats meat occasionally.

What is biodiversity?

According to the United Nations Environment Programme, all life on earth – including in its forests and oceans – forms a “rich tapestry of interconnecting and interdependent forces”. Biodiversity on earth today is the product of four billion years of evolution and consists of many millions of distinct biological species. The term ‘biodiversity’ is relatively new, popularised since the 1980s and coinciding with an understanding of the growing threats to the natural world including habitat loss, pollution and climate change. The loss of biodiversity itself is dangerous because it contributes to clean, consistent water flows, food security, protection from floods and storms and a stable climate. The natural world can be an ally in combating global climate change but to do so it must be protected. Nations are working to achieve this, including setting targets to be reached by 2020 for the protection of the natural state of 17 per cent of the land and 10 per cent of the oceans. However, these are well short of what is needed, according to experts, with half the land needed to be in a natural state to help avert disaster.

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Scores in brief:

Boost Defenders 205-5 in 20 overs
(Colin Ingram 84 not out, Cameron Delport 36, William Somerville 2-28)
bt Auckland Aces 170 for 5 in 20 overs
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ARSENAL

  • FA Cup - 2005

BARCELONA

  • La Liga - 2013
  • Copa del Rey - 2012
  • Fifa Club World Cup - 2011

CHELSEA

  • Premier League - 2015, 2017
  • FA Cup - 2018
  • League Cup - 2015

SPAIN

  • World Cup - 2010
  • European Championship - 2008, 2012
The biog

Hobbies: Writing and running
Favourite sport: beach volleyball
Favourite holiday destinations: Turkey and Puerto Rico​

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Company profile: buybackbazaar.com

Name: buybackbazaar.com

Started: January 2018

Founder(s): Pishu Ganglani and Ricky Husaini

Based: Dubai

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How has net migration to UK changed?

The figure was broadly flat immediately before the Covid-19 pandemic, standing at 216,000 in the year to June 2018 and 224,000 in the year to June 2019.

It then dropped to an estimated 111,000 in the year to June 2020 when restrictions introduced during the pandemic limited travel and movement.

The total rose to 254,000 in the year to June 2021, followed by steep jumps to 634,000 in the year to June 2022 and 906,000 in the year to June 2023.

The latest available figure of 728,000 for the 12 months to June 2024 suggests levels are starting to decrease.

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Pharaoh's curse

British aristocrat Lord Carnarvon, who funded the expedition to find the Tutankhamun tomb, died in a Cairo hotel four months after the crypt was opened.
He had been in poor health for many years after a car crash, and a mosquito bite made worse by a shaving cut led to blood poisoning and pneumonia.
Reports at the time said Lord Carnarvon suffered from “pain as the inflammation affected the nasal passages and eyes”.
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Updated: January 05, 2022, 10:48 AM`