Save the Children: Two fifths of Yemeni children out of school

A report released on Monday by charity organization Save the Children said that “after nine years of conflict in Yemen, two in five children, or 4.5 million, are out of school, with displaced children twice as likely to drop out than their peers.”

The report revealed that a third of the families surveyed in Yemen experienced at least one child dropping out of school in the past two years, despite the truce brokered by the United Nations that took effect in April 2022.

“Although the truce officially expired in October 2022, parties have continued to adhere to its core elements and large-scale fighting has not reignited.  However, while casualty rates have dropped, three-quarters of students (76%) reported that their sense of safety has not increased, with 14% of families citing violence as a direct cause of school dropouts,” the report added.

According to the report, 20% of families said that they could not afford monthly school fees and book costs, while more than 44% of the caregivers and children surveyed confirmed that the need to contribute to securing income for their families “was the main reason” for deprivation of education.

Tuesday, March 26, 2024, will mark nine years since the launch of the military operation of the Arab Coalition, led by Saudi Arabia and the UAE, against the Iran-backed Houthi militia in support of the internationally recognized government.