Yemen’s health workers race to halt latest outbreak of deadly dengue fever

Published 26 July 2026 · health

Health workers are battling to contain the mosquito-borne disease amid growing concern over rising infections. Mukalla, Yemen – Under the scorching sun and through heady

Health workers are battling to contain the mosquito-borne disease amid growing concern over rising infections. Mukalla, Yemen – Under the scorching sun and through heady humidity, Salem bin Shabz and his team of health workers move slowly through the narrow alleyways of Al-Koud, a densely populated slum in Yemen’s port city of Mukalla. Every time they spot a pool of stagnant water, they stop and inspect the puddle. Armed with dippers and sample containers, they are on the hunt for mosquito breeding grounds amid an outbreak of the deadly dengue fever. Makalla has become one of Yemen’s worst-hit areas for dengue fever, a viral infection spread by mosquito bites that can cause fevers, headaches, body aches, nausea, and in severe cases, death. Bin Shabz kneels beside an open drainage chamber where a puddle of stagnant water, discharged from a household air conditioner, has turned green after standing for weeks. He dips a ladle into the water and pours the contents into a shallow metal tray. Within seconds, tiny larvae begin wriggling across the surface. “These are mosquito larvae,” bin Shabz, an insect surveillance officer at the provincial office of the Malaria Control Programme (NMCP), told Al Jazeera. “This type is Anopheles, which transmits malaria, while the other is Aedes, the mosquito that spreads dengue fever. We collect the larvae, place them in containers and identify them before taking the necessary control measures.” The discovery confirms the team’s fears: Al-Koud has once again become a breeding ground for both dengue and malaria mosquitoes, despite repeated campaigns to control the spread of the insects. “We carried out mosquito control campaigns in this area two months ago, combining public awareness, insecticide spraying and efforts to eliminate breeding sites,” bin Shabz says. “Now we’ve returned and found many of the same breeding sites still exist.” After draining the chamber, the team presses deeper into the neighbourhood.

Minutes later, they stop outside another house where an uncovered water storage tank sits beside the entrance. Bin Shabz lowers a long-handled dipper into the tank and transfers another sample into a metal tray. “The tank is infested with both malaria and dengue larvae,” bin Shabz confirms. He asks a group of curious children to fetch the homeowner so he can explain the dangers of leaving the water tank exposed and cover the container. “A simple step like covering the tank would help protect his family and their neighbours from dengue fever,” he said. To his disappointment, the homeowner is not there, so bin Shabz leaves a message with neighbours. But the mosquito breeding site will remain untouched until the owner can be reached. “People are not cooperating with us,” he said. “In urban areas, many residents are still asleep when we carry out our morning inspections, while others are away from their homes. Whenever we identify a breeding site, we speak to the homeowner, explain the risks and advise them how to eliminate it.” Anti-dengue fever The vector control team in Mukalla is one part of a nationwide campaign across government-controlled areas of Yemen to curb a new outbreak of dengue fever. The campaign combines the surveillance of mosquito breeding sites with public awareness campaigns, insecticide spraying, larval control, and training health workers to diagnose and treat dengue cases in hospitals and local health centres. According to the Aden-based Electronic Integrated Disease Early Warning System (eIDEWS), which monitors disease outbreaks across government-controlled areas of Yemen, 7,815 suspected dengue cases and 33 deaths were recorded between January 4 and July 18, 2026. Hadramout was the hardest-hit governorate, reporting 2,204 cases, followed by Aden (1,639), Abyan (962), Shabwa (951) and Taiz (770). The dengue fever outbreak has placed further strain on Yemen’s already fragile healthcare system, which has been pushed to the brink of collapse by years of war, chronic underfunding and repeated outbreaks of disease.