Yemeni Children Suffering Amidst Ongoing Aggression: A Recent Human Rights Report

A recent human rights report revealed that more than 8,218 Yemeni children have been killed and injured due to the ongoing aggression against the Yemeni people for over eight years.

The report, issued by the organization “Intisaf for Women and Child Rights”, stated that 8,218 children have fallen as victims, both killed and injured, since the beginning of the American-Saudi aggression against the Yemeni people.

The report, released to coincide with the International Day of Innocent Children Victims of Aggression observed on June 4th every year, highlighted that the purpose of this day is to recognize the suffering of children who are the most affected and vulnerable to violations during wars and armed conflicts.

The report clarified that this day exposed the United Nations’ failure to protect the rights of children in Yemen, who endure the most severe suffering, psychological and physical harm, lack of healthcare, killings, displacement, and violations of all their rights as claimed by international laws, treaties, and conventions.

The report mentioned that 12.6 million children need some form of humanitarian aid or protection, while estimates indicate that poverty rates have increased to about 80 percent, with more than eight out of ten children living in families that lack sufficient income to meet their basic needs.

The report noted that the aggression has caused a 63% increase in gender-based violence rates among children, with 88 cases of child rape and 145 cases of kidnapping recorded.

A total of 182 children were killed or injured due to cluster bombs and remnants of aggression from January to May.

The report pointed out that Yemen has the highest child mortality rates in the Middle East, with approximately 60 children dying out of every 1,000 newborns, as a result of the consequences of aggression and siege, as well as the scarcity of premature-infant incubators. The healthcare sector has only 600 incubators, while the actual need is estimated at 2,000. Additionally, 52,000 children die annually, meaning one child dies every ten minutes.

The report emphasized that the siege has led to increased malnutrition rates, which have risen in the past two years from 3.6 million to 6 million people, an increase of 66 percent. Over 2.3 million children under the age of five suffer from malnutrition, and 632,000 children suffer from severe acute malnutrition that threatens their lives.

Meanwhile, the number of displaced children has reached 1.71 million, and more than six million students suffer from the collapse of the education system due to aggression and siege.

According to the report, 5,559 children have suffered physical disabilities as a result of the aggression, and the actual number is expected to be much higher.

The organization said in its report that since the beginning of the aggression, the United Nations and its organizations have failed to play their role, even abandoning their responsibilities and withdrawing support from most vital sectors, while ignoring all violations against civilians, especially children.

The report held the aggression coalition led by the United States and Saudi Arabia responsible for all crimes and violations against Yemeni children, calling on the international community and UN organizations to assume their legal and humanitarian responsibilities for the violations against the Yemeni people’s civilians and to take effective and positive action to stop the aggression and protect women and children.