UNICEF has warned that renewed hostilities across Yemen are forcing families to flee their homes, killing and injuring children, and disrupting access to healthcare and education, further worsening an already severe humanitarian crisis. More than 12 million children are in need of humanitarian assistance.
اضافة اعلان
In a statement, UNICEF said more than 104,000 people, including over 57,000 children, had been displaced in just two weeks.
The agency added that since September 3, reports indicated that at least nine children had been killed and 12 injured, while three children remained missing following an attack on the road linking Yemen’s western coast with Aden.
UNICEF said ongoing fighting in western Taiz, southern Hudaydah, Marib and other affected areas was depriving children of essential services. Services at 26 UNICEF-supported health facilities have been disrupted, while 243 schools have been closed or suspended classes, affecting more than 137,000 students.
UNICEF is expanding its emergency response to reach up to 231,000 people affected by the escalation.
The organization has already begun providing assistance, including support for health facilities, distributing hygiene supplies and water tanks in Taiz, providing additional water and sanitation supplies in Marib, and redeploying nine mobile health and nutrition teams to displacement sites and affected communities in Aden, Marib and Taiz.
UNICEF Regional Director for the Middle East and North Africa Edouard Beigbeder said the latest wave of violence was undermining the little stability left for children who have already endured years of hunger, displacement and disrupted education.
UNICEF warned that the impact of the escalation extends to areas across the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, with more than 2,000 people, including many children, arriving in Djibouti after a dangerous crossing marked by extreme heat, dehydration and serious safety risks.
UNICEF is working with relevant authorities to support newly arrived families by providing safe water, sanitation and hygiene services, child protection assistance, and referrals for the most vulnerable children to receive the care they need.
The organization said that even before the latest escalation, an estimated 12.2 million children in Yemen were already in need of humanitarian assistance.
It added that more than 2.2 million children under the age of five were suffering from acute malnutrition, including more than 515,000 children experiencing severe acute malnutrition, while 3.2 million school-age children were out of school.
UNICEF reiterated the UN Secretary-General’s call on all parties to the conflict to protect civilians, including children, comply with international humanitarian law, facilitate safe and unhindered humanitarian access, and ensure that urgently needed assistance reaches communities in need.
