Children’s education latest victim of Yemen conflict: UNICEF

Yemen’s education system has been devastated by the country’s brutal conflict, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) said on Tuesday, reporting that at least half a million children have dropped out of school since the 2015 escalation of the war.

 

 

Yemen’s education system has been devastated by the country’s brutal conflict, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) said on Tuesday, reporting that at least half a million children have dropped out of school since the 2015 escalation of the war.

“An entire generation of children in Yemen faces a bleak future because of limited or no access to education,” said Meritxell Relaño, UNICEF Representative in Yemen.

“Even those who remain in school are not getting the quality education they need.

”According to “If Not In School,” the total number of out-of-school children now stands at 2 million, and almost three quarters of public school teachers have not been paid their salaries in over a year, putting the education of an additional 4.5 million children at grave risk.

More than 2,500 schools are out of use, with two thirds damaged by attacks, 27 per cent closed and 7 per cent used for military purposes or as shelters for displaced people.

Children risk being killed on their way to school.

Fearing for their children’s safety, many parents choose to keep their children at home.

The lack of access to education has pushed children and families to dangerous alternatives, including early marriage, child labour and recruitment into the fighting.