Red Cross: More than two million children have dropped out of education in Yemen
English - Saturday 15 October 2022 الساعة 07:11 pm
Aden, NewsYemen:
The International Committee of the Red Cross, in a recent report, said that the education sector in Yemen is experiencing an acute crisis after nearly eight years of armed conflict.
The report added that more than two million children have dropped out of education, and countless others are passing their lives in light of a future in which their access to education is shrouded in uncertainty.
Statistics indicate that at least one out of every four educational facilities has been destroyed, damaged or used for non-educational purposes, over the past eight years.
These statistics are consistent with UNICEF indicators, whose data confirm that more than two million children of schooling age are currently out of school, and more than four million need support to obtain education, in addition to that 20 percent of primary and secondary schools of all kinds are closed.
The International Committee of the Red Cross considered that the years lost without education will have far-reaching consequences; Education has a critical role to play in supporting Yemen's recovery after the armed conflict.
Noting that male and female teachers were killed or injured in their schools or on their way to them, while thousands of male and female teachers had to look for other work because they did not receive salaries. The dangers and economic effects of the conflict have also forced thousands of families to stop sending their children to school, especially girls, according to the report.
In its report, the committee said that this unfortunate scene sums up the harsh reality experienced by an entire generation of Yemeni children, who are struggling to get an education.
The number of children who are interrupted in education continues to increase, whether this interruption is a direct or indirect result of the ongoing conflict.
International humanitarian law stipulates that parties to a conflict must ensure that they take all necessary measures to protect civilians and civilian infrastructure. Violence targeting students, education personnel, schools or universities has long-term damage, as well as impeding the recovery process after conflict subsides.
The ICRC noted that in a highly volatile context such as Yemen, where many children have experienced nothing but the scourge of war, the opportunity to obtain a safe education can be an outlet that relieves these children of the psychological effects of violence, as regular education gives them a sense of activity Routine, considering that addressing the education crisis in Yemen requires a comprehensive approach involving several sectors, seeking to meet all basic needs, as these basic needs are intertwined and indispensable to any of them.
For her part, the head of the ICRC delegation in Yemen, Katharina Ritz, said: "The scale of the humanitarian needs has already exceeded the capacity of the aid agencies to respond. The sharp cut in funding only means a diminished access to food, health care, shelter and education for millions of Yemenis."
She added, "There is no way to address this miserable humanitarian situation except through political efforts, so it is important to intensify efforts aimed at finding a serious solution."
