Yemen’s Children Bear Brunt of Bloody Conflict

Around ten million children or 80% of the country's total population of children are in need of urgent humanitarian assistance, according to the UN.

Photograph courtesy of: theirworld.org

On average, at least six children have been killed or seriously injured every day, reveals a recent United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) report. These numbers are almost seven times higher than the whole of 2014, it adds.

The report titled Children on the Brink, highlights the heavy toll that the violence in the West-Asian Arab country is having on children.

“Children are paying the highest price for a conflict not of their making,” says UNICEF Country Representative, Julien Harneis, in a press release. 

“They have been killed or maimed across the country and are no longer safe anywhere in Yemen.”

“Even playing or sleeping has become dangerous”, he adds.

The agency verified more than 1,560 incidents of grave violations against children in Yemen. Consequently, more than 900 children were killed and over 1,300 were maimed in the last one year alone.

The ongoing civil war is being fought between two factions battling to claim control over the country. The war between forces in support of the President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi and the Houthi rebels turned uglier when Saudi intervened, on March 26 last year, to back the beleaguered President. 

Houthis, who are allied to Zaidi Shia rebels still control the capital city of Sana’a and other major parts of the war-torn nation.

A breakthrough in the violence emerged last week as the warring parties agreed to a ceasefire to be observed on April 10 ahead of a fresh round of peace talks on April 18.

Yemen was already amongst the world’s poorest nations before the conflict escalated. The brutal violence is rapidly deteriorating the already precarious humanitarian situation in the country. 

Children as young as 10 years old are being drafted as soldiers to fight in the Arab country, underlined the UNICEF report.

“Children are taking up much more active roles in the fighting, such as manning checkpoints and carrying weapons,” states the UN.

Moreover, UNICEF estimates that approximately 10,000 additional deaths from preventable diseases may have occurred among children under five.

The deteriorating condition of critical health services in the country has led to chronic malnutrition among children. Acute malnutrition can result in stunted growth and makes the child vulnerable to pneumonia, diarrhea and other water-borne diseases and infections.

Millions do not have access to clean water either.

The latest data points out that 63 health facilities have been attacked or damaged. Most of these facilities are facing severe shortages in medical supplies, equipment and personnel, along with sporadic electricity.

Till date, UNICEF has received merely 18% of its $180 million (£135 million approx.) funding requirements for 2016. 

“It’s a race against time,” says Julien Harneis.

The report also stressed that all parties should put an end to the use of child soldiers and underscored the need to provide unhindered and unconditional humanitarian access to all children.