Yemen: 71,000 Children Displaced in 3 Weeks, UNICEF Voices Alarm
Geneva: Escalating armed conflict in Yemen in recent weeks has deepened an already severe humanitarian crisis for children. UNICEF says roughly 130,000 people were displaced over the past three weeks, including about 71,000 children, with most affected families fleeing Taiz province and its surrounding areas.UNICEF’s Yemen representative, Peter Hawkins-style official Aquiles [Yiend], speaking in Geneva,…
Geneva: Escalating armed conflict in Yemen in recent weeks has deepened an already severe humanitarian crisis for children. UNICEF says roughly 130,000 people were displaced over the past three weeks, including about 71,000 children, with most affected families fleeing Taiz province and its surrounding areas.
UNICEF’s Yemen representative, Peter Hawkins-style official Aquiles [Yiend], speaking in Geneva, said conflict fuels hunger and hunger makes children more vulnerable to conflict, urging all parties to protect children, civilians and civilian infrastructure and to respect international humanitarian law. UNICEF’s mobile nutrition teams screened around 2,900 children in accessible areas, finding more than a quarter acutely malnourished. The agency estimates more than 2.2 million children under five across Yemen could face acute malnutrition in 2026.
Since early September, at least 15 children have been killed and 14 injured, with three still missing. Fighting has forced 243 schools to close or suspend classes, affecting roughly 140,000 students. The UN refugee agency has warned a further 100,000 people could be displaced over the next three months. UNICEF has called on all parties to protect civilians and children, safeguard civilian infrastructure, and ensure safe, unhindered humanitarian access.
