11,000. That’s the number of children killed or maimed in the civil war that has raged in Yemen for nearly eight years. That equates to four children a day.
These are only the cases documented by Unicef. The actual number of victims is probably much higher, the children’s organization announced on Monday.
And it’s not the only frightening figure from the latest UN report.
2.2 million severely malnourished children
An estimated 2.2 million Yemeni children suffer from acute malnutrition. About 540,000 children under the age of five are so severely malnourished that their lives are in danger.
In addition to hunger, people are at extremely high risk for preventable diseases such as cholera and measles. In 2016, Yemen experienced the worst cholera outbreak in history. The bacterial infection can lead to severe diarrhea and life-threatening fluid loss. Infection usually occurs through contaminated drinking water.
The infrastructure in Yemen completely collapsed after the outbreak of the war. Water supply in particular is a major problem. Some people only have a choice between cholera or death from thirst. More than 3,400 deaths from cholera have been recorded. The cholera would be treatable.
This leads to the following point:
10 million children without medical care
According to UNICEF, the health system is so fragile that some 22 million people, including 10 million children, have no access to medical care. Only about half of the country’s health facilities are partially or fully operational.
When someone is infected with cholera, that person often does not find help. Many hospitals are closed because they have been destroyed by air raids, reported Roberto Scaini by the organization « Doctors without Borders » 2019.
I was in Yemen this week where I launched UNICEF’s humanitarian appeal for children. During my visit, I met some of the nearly 13 million children in need of lifesaving assistance. We cannot abandon them and millions more children around the world who need our support. Utilities. https://t.co/a83h3fTXsC pic.twitter.com/RQ8ummyotg
— Catherine Russell (@unicefchief) December 9, 2022
17.8 people without access to clean water
Yemen’s population is estimated to be about 30.9 million people. According to UNICEF, nearly 18 million people, including 9.2 million children, do not have access to clean drinking water.
2 million children without education
Educational institutions were also destroyed. According to UNICEF, two million children are currently out of school. The children’s charity warns of a serious education crisis.
For girls, this can mean being married off prematurely and trapped in a cycle of poverty, abuse and untapped potential, UNICEF reports. The risk of child labor is also increasing.
4,000 recruited child soldiers
Since 2015, nearly 4,000 boys have been recruited to fight in the war as child soldiers, according to the UN report. They are used as martyrs.
According to reports, the children are kidnapped from schools by Houthi rebels and recruited into special training camps been. A boy told NTV how he witnessed an air raid that saw dozens of people “torn to pieces”.
380,000 people killed
Since the outbreak of the conflict, 380,000 people have died, most of them from indirect consequences of the fighting, such as starvation or avoidable disease. More than two million people have been displaced.
The UN classifies the war and its consequences as the world’s worst humanitarian crisis.
Soource :Watson
I am Amelia James, a passionate journalist with a deep-rooted interest in current affairs. I have more than five years of experience in the media industry, working both as an author and editor for 24 Instant News. My main focus lies in international news, particularly regional conflicts and political issues around the world.
