Entisaf Organization for Women and Child Rights issued a human rights report entitled “Hidden Wounds Beneath the Ashes,” documenting the most prominent psychological and social repercussions left by years of Saudi-American aggression and siege against the Yemeni people, particularly women, children, and the most vulnerable groups.

The report explained that the repercussions of the aggression and siege were not limited to human and material losses and the destruction of infrastructure, but extended to collective memory, the social fabric, and mental health, causing psychological trauma and disorders and a decline in family and community ties, alongside worsening economic and livelihood pressures.

In its methodology, the report relied on the organization’s monitoring reports and reports issued by official sources and local and international organizations, in addition to continuous monitoring of official and reliable media sources and websites. This was aimed at tracking the changes that have affected the Yemeni family, exposing the scale of psychological trauma affecting vulnerable groups, documenting examples of human suffering, and putting forward proposals to mitigate its effects.

It noted that continuous exposure to airstrikes and threats, the loss of loved ones, and the absence of livelihood stability contributed to the worsening of anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder, while economic pressures, displacement, and the decline in livelihoods weakened family ties and social solidarity networks, imposing new challenges on many families in terms of providing for their members and distributing roles.

The report addressed a number of indicators and data related to the psychological and social conditions of children and women, drawing on data and studies cited from a number of international organizations and bodies.

It stated that ground shelling and airstrikes carried out by the aggression coalition since March 26, 2015, have resulted in the killing or maiming of more than 11,000 children, at a rate of no fewer than four children per day killed or disabled. This has left permanent disabilities and deep psychological trauma among the victims and their families. It pointed out that hundreds of thousands of children suffer from severe psychological trauma and emotional disorders as a result of direct exposure to the continuing atmosphere of terror.

The report said that more than 8.8 million children have become in urgent need of specialized protection services due to increased risks of exploitation, child labor, and deteriorating domestic and psychological violence resulting from the economic collapse caused by the siege. Women and girls are also facing a sharp increase in the risks of violence, with millions of them lacking even the most basic elements of psychological and social protection and supportive legal services amid the disintegration of social structures.

It affirmed that a full decade of aggression and siege has deprived millions of children of a safe educational environment, with the number of children out of school exceeding two million. This has left serious social consequences, including the expansion of school dropout, increased rates of child labor, and early marriage among girls.

According to the report, approximately seven million people suffer from varying psychological disorders and traumatic conditions requiring specialized intervention as a result of continuous psychological pressures, while only 120,000 people are able to access mental healthcare services annually. This means that six million 880 thousand cases, representing more than 98 percent of cases of psychological disorders, do not receive basic mental health services. This significant increase in the number of cases and the deprivation of access to services comes as a result of the brutal aggression and siege imposed on the country.

The report pointed out that approximately 73 percent of children exhibit symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder as a result of continuous exposure to an atmosphere of threats and terrifying news. It also stated that 67 percent of women suffer from high levels of anxiety, while approximately 62 percent of them face risks of severe depression as a result of the combination of harsh living conditions and the pressure of the ongoing psychological warfare.

According to the report, 80 percent of displaced persons—whose number has exceeded 4.8 million—are women and children, while at least 22.1 percent of the population suffer from one of the psychological disorders. At the same time, the total number of psychiatrists across the country stands at only 46, at a rate of one psychiatrist for every 700,000 people.

The report also addressed the effects of media warfare and soft warfare on civilians, pointing to their impact on awareness, psychological stability, and social cohesion, as well as the exacerbation of psychological pressures.

The report affirmed that protecting civilians from psychological and social harm is also linked to the international legal framework, drawing on the provisions of international humanitarian law and international human rights law, as well as the special protection afforded by the Convention on the Rights of the Child to children affected by wars.

At the conclusion of the report, Entisaf Organization called for an end to the aggression and siege in all its forms, by land, sea, and air, and for an end to all forms of economic and humanitarian pressure on civilians. It also called for the launch of supported national and local programs providing mental health and psychological treatment services, with a focus on children and women, the strengthening of community awareness programs, and support for civil initiatives and associations that contribute to reviving the spirit of solidarity and social mutual support and creating safe spaces for community support.

The organization considered the report a step toward shedding light on the unseen aspects of civilians’ suffering and placing the psychological and social repercussions before the relevant authorities and humanitarian organizations, in a manner that contributes to supporting pathways toward the psychological and social recovery of Yemeni society.