YEMEN-SECURITY/UNICEF 365 children killed, 484 injured in Yemen since March 26 - UNICEF

Record ID: 149514

  • Title: YEMEN-SECURITY/UNICEF 365 children killed, 484 injured in Yemen since March 26 - UNICEF
  • Date: 24th July 2015
  • Summary: GENEVA, SWITZERLAND (JULY 24, 2015) (REUTERS) EXTERIOR OF UNITED NATIONS HEADQUARTERS NEWS BRIEFING ONGOING JOURNALISTS (SOUNDBITE) (English) UNICEF SPOKESMAN, CHRISTOPHE BOULIERAC, SAYING: "Between March 26 and July 16, we have now 365, 3-6-5 children killed, and 484, 4-8-4 children injured, from March 26 and July 16." JOURNALISTS (SOUNDBITE) (English) UNICEF SPOKESMAN, C
  • Embargoed: 8th August 2015 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Switzerland
  • Country: Switzerland
  • Topics: General
  • Reuters ID: LVA7IK3IQCOGS52E4FB5ZLEAS0LG
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: 365 children have been killed and 484 injured in Yemen since a Saudi-led campaign of air strikes backing pro-government forces engaged in fighting with rebel Houthi fighters started on March 26, the United Nations Agency for children said on Friday (July 24) during a news briefing in Geneva.
    "Between March 26 and July 16, we have now 365, 3-6-5 children killed, and 484, 4-8-4 children injured, from March 26 and July 16," Unicef spokesman Christophe Boulierac told reporters, citing data collected on the ground by the agency's staff, slightly higher than numbers given by the World Health Organization a few days ago.
    The Arabian Peninsula's poorest state has endured years of unrest, but after four months of war between rebel Houthi fighters and pro-government forces, Yemeni people and children are facing a dire situation. Unicef has already raised alarm regarding the fact that according to their data 500,000 children are now suffering from malnutrition. According to the agency, around 1.8 million children have seen their schooling being interrupted for two months or more.
    "Before the conflict, the net school enrolment rate for Yemen stood at 79%, while 2 million children of school age were out of school, before the conflict, due to poverty, discrimination, poor quality learning and conflict. We urge the parties to the conflict to respect the safety of schools so as to give children a chance to learn," Boulierac said.
    "The intense bombings and street fighting have forced more than 3,600 schools to close since March 26 and have driven students and their families to move to safer zones in the country. At least 248 schools have been directly damaged. 270 schools are being occupied by displaced people and 68 schools are being occupied by armed groups," he added, saying that children being left out of school were becoming easy targets for recruiters.
    Catch-up classes, supported by Unicef with provisions of teaching or learning kits for instance, are being put into place for students who are supposed to take national exams from grade 9 to 12 starting mid-August.
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