Yemen fighting disrupts education for 137,000 children
More than 137,000 school-aged children in Yemen are facing major disruptions to their education as renewed fighting intensifies along the country’s western coast, UNICEF said Monday.
The UN children’s agency said it is establishing 20 child-friendly spaces and temporary classrooms while providing protection services to children affected by the violence. UNICEF, together with the UN Population Fund and the World Food Programme, is also providing emergency assistance to more than 14,000 people newly displaced by the fighting.
The latest clashes have forced families from their homes in western Taiz province and districts along Yemen’s western coastline, adding to concerns that the renewed violence could reverse years of relative calm.
“Children shouldn’t lose their future to conflict,” UNICEF said.
Government forces report heavy attacks
Yemen’s government-aligned National Resistance Forces said Monday that the Houthis had mobilized more than 76,000 personnel during recent battles along the western coast.
The forces claimed the Houthi operations were aimed at gaining control of the strategic Bab al-Mandab Strait and alleged that Iranian and Lebanese experts were involved in planning and managing the offensive. The claims could not be independently verified.
According to Major General Sadiq Dwaid, spokesperson for the National Resistance Forces, the group defended a 170-kilometer front while also protecting beaches and islands.
Dwaid said that between Aug. 9 and Sept. 9, Houthi forces launched 130 ballistic missiles, 145 suicide drones and 15 explosive-laden boats. He said 23 of the missiles and 18 of the drones targeted positions held by forces commanded by Lieutenant General Tariq Saleh, a member of Yemen’s Presidential Leadership Council.
Fears grow of wider escalation
Yemen experienced a relative lull in fighting after a UN-brokered truce in 2022, following years of war between the internationally recognized government, backed by a Saudi-led coalition, and the Iran-aligned Houthis.
The conflict began in 2014 when the Houthis seized the capital, Sanaa, and large parts of the country. A Saudi-led coalition intervened the following year in support of the internationally recognized government.
The Houthis have also become increasingly involved in regional tensions since late 2023, launching attacks on Israel and commercial shipping in the Red Sea following the outbreak of the Gaza war.
The latest escalation along Yemen’s western coast has raised fears that the country could once again slide toward a broader conflict, with civilians and children facing the immediate consequences.
Source:AA
