Renewed Fighting in Yemen Displaces More Than 57,000 Children as Humanitarian Crisis Deepens.
Amman:
Renewed hostilities across Yemen have displaced more than 57,000 children in just two weeks, while reports of children being killed, injured and missing are adding to an already severe humanitarian crisis, UNICEF warned on Wednesday.
Since 3 September, more than 104,000 people have reportedly been displaced by the escalation in violence. Among them are more than 57,000 children who have been forced to leave their homes, many carrying only the belongings they could take with them.
UNICEF said that at least nine children have been reported killed and 12 injured since the latest escalation began. Three additional children are reported missing following an attack on a road connecting Yemen’s western coast with Aden.
Fighting disrupts healthcare and education
The renewed fighting is affecting communities across western Taiz, southern Hudaydah, Marib and other areas, cutting children off from essential services.
According to UNICEF, 26 UNICEF-supported health facilities have experienced disruptions to their services. At the same time, 243 schools have closed or suspended learning, affecting more than 137,000 students.
The disruptions come at a time when Yemen’s children are already facing widespread poverty, displacement, food insecurity and limited access to basic services.
UNICEF Regional Director for the Middle East and North Africa Edouard Beigbeder said many children in Yemen have spent much of their lives experiencing conflict and displacement.
He warned that the latest escalation is further undermining the limited stability available to families who have already endured years of hunger, displacement and interrupted education.
UNICEF expands emergency response
UNICEF said it is expanding its emergency response with the aim of reaching up to 231,000 people affected by the latest escalation.
Emergency assistance is already being provided in several affected areas. Health facilities in Taiz are receiving support, while hygiene kits and water tanks have been distributed. Additional water and hygiene supplies are being provided in Marib.
Nine mobile health and nutrition teams have also been redeployed to displacement sites and affected communities in Aden, Marib and Taiz.
Emergency water and sanitation interventions are expected to reach more than 200,000 people, providing safe water, hygiene supplies and urgent repairs to damaged infrastructure.
Children face protection risks
The renewed displacement is also increasing risks to children who have become separated from their families.
UNICEF child protection teams are providing psychosocial support and case management, including assistance to unaccompanied and separated children. Teams are also working with communities to reduce risks associated with explosive ordnance.
The organization said protecting children from violence and ensuring access to essential services are key priorities as families continue to flee affected areas.
Dangerous crossings into Djibouti
The effects of the escalation are also extending across the Bab el-Mandeb Strait.
More than 2,000 people, including many children, have arrived in Djibouti after making the dangerous sea crossing. Those journeys have exposed people to extreme heat, dehydration and other protection risks.
UNICEF is working with authorities to provide newly arrived families with safe water, sanitation and hygiene services, along with child protection assistance and referrals for children considered particularly vulnerable.
Millions of Yemeni children already need assistance
The latest escalation is unfolding against a backdrop of an enormous pre-existing humanitarian crisis.
Even before the renewed violence, an estimated 12.2 million children in Yemen were in need of humanitarian assistance.
UNICEF estimates that more than 2.2 million children under five are acutely malnourished, including more than 515,000 suffering from severe acute malnutrition.
Education is also severely affected, with approximately 3.2 million school-aged children out of school.
Healthcare and basic infrastructure remain under significant strain. Around 17.8 million people lack adequate access to healthcare, water and sanitation services, while only about 60 per cent of health facilities are fully functional.
UNICEF calls for protection of civilians
UNICEF reiterated the United Nations Secretary-General’s call for all parties to the conflict to protect civilians, including children, and comply with international humanitarian law.
The agency also called for safe and unhindered humanitarian access so that essential food, healthcare, water, sanitation, nutrition and protection services can reach communities affected by the violence.
With tens of thousands of children newly displaced and essential services disrupted, UNICEF warned that the latest escalation is placing additional pressure on children and families already living through one of the world’s most serious humanitarian crises.
