Yemen escalation displaces more than 57,000 children: UNICEF
Renewed Violence Uproots Thousands of Children Across Yemen
Qinilo.com – A fresh surge in fighting is forcing Yemeni children and families from their homes at a time when the country’s humanitarian situation was already among the most severe in the world. More than 57,000 children have been displaced in the past two weeks alone, while other children have been killed, injured or remain unaccounted for.
The escalation is placing additional strain on communities that have spent years coping with conflict, poverty, hunger and interrupted public services. More than 12 million children in Yemen rely on humanitarian assistance, leaving little room for families to absorb another wave of violence and displacement.
“Children in Yemen were already living through one of the world’s most grave humanitarian crises, and many have known little but conflict and displacement,” said Edouard Beigbeder, UNICEF Regional Director for the Middle East and North Africa.
“For children who have already endured years of hunger, displacement and disrupted schooling, this latest violence is eroding what little stability they had left.”
Displacement spreads across key governorates
The latest clashes have driven tens of thousands of families to seek safety outside their home areas. Taiz, Hudaydah and Marib are among the governorates experiencing broad displacement, with families facing urgent needs for shelter, clean water, healthcare and protection.
Yemen has remained divided by conflict since 2014, when fighting intensified between Yemeni Government forces, backed by a Saudi-led coalition, and the Iran-backed Houthi militia. A UN-supported truce in 2022 brought a period of relative calm, but the current escalation is again exposing civilians to immediate danger.
Children are especially vulnerable when families flee suddenly. Displacement can separate children from relatives, interrupt medical treatment and leave them without safe places to learn or play. It can also increase the pressure on host communities and sites already struggling to provide essential services.
Children killed, hurt and missing
Since 3 September, at least nine children have been killed and 12 injured. Three more children are missing after an attack along the route linking Yemen’s western coast with Aden.
The loss of safe movement along roads can have consequences beyond the initial attack. Families may be unable to reach hospitals, aid deliveries can be delayed, and people seeking refuge may face greater risks during travel. In a country where many services are already limited, disruptions to transport routes can quickly deepen hardship.
Health and education services disrupted
The fighting has interrupted access to care and schooling in affected areas. Services supported by UNICEF at 26 health facilities have been disrupted, reducing options for children and families who need treatment, maternal care, nutrition support and other essential assistance.
Education has also been affected. A total of 243 schools have either shut their doors or paused classes, disrupting learning for more than 137,000 students. For many Yemeni children, repeated school closures compound years of educational disruption caused by conflict, displacement and economic hardship.
Across the country, approximately 3.2 million school-age children are already outside the education system. The closure of additional schools risks widening that gap and making it harder for children to return to regular learning once conditions improve.
Emergency aid response expands
UNICEF is scaling up its response with the aim of reaching as many as 231,000 people. In Taiz, teams have supported health facilities and provided hygiene kits and water tanks. Additional water and hygiene supplies have been delivered in Marib.
Nine mobile health and nutrition teams have been repositioned to serve displaced families and conflict-affected communities in Aden, Marib and Taiz. Emergency water and sanitation teams are also working to provide safe water and hygiene materials to more than 200,000 people, while carrying out urgent repairs to damaged systems.
Child protection workers are offering psychosocial support and case management, including assistance for children who have become separated from their families or are travelling without adult caregivers. Teams are also raising awareness of unexploded ordnance, a persistent danger in areas affected by fighting.
Humanitarian action in such conditions depends on safe access to communities. Medical supplies, clean water, sanitation materials and protection services must reach people quickly, particularly families who have left home with few belongings and limited resources.
Humanitarian needs remain immense
Even before the present escalation, an estimated 12.2 million children in Yemen required humanitarian support. More than 2.2 million children under five suffer from acute malnutrition, including over 515,000 facing severe acute malnutrition.
Basic infrastructure remains under intense pressure. Around 17.8 million people across Yemen do not have sufficient access to healthcare, water and sanitation services. Only 60 per cent of health facilities are fully functioning, making every additional interruption especially serious for communities dependent on already stretched care systems.
The crisis is also affecting Yemenis who flee beyond the country’s borders. UNICEF is working with authorities in Djibouti to assist families who have crossed the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, a dangerous journey. More than 2,000 people, including many children, have arrived there.
UNICEF has joined the UN Secretary-General’s call on all parties to safeguard civilians, particularly children, comply with international humanitarian law and allow humanitarian workers to reach communities without obstruction. For Yemen’s children, the immediate priorities remain safety, access to food and healthcare, clean water, protection and the chance to continue their education despite the conflict around them.
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