Sana’a, 14 September 2015, Save the Children in partnership with Tawasal foundation launches A Child-Led Assessment Report conducted by 20 children and young people in our programs. The assessment interviewed105 displaced children between the ages of 12 and 18 from the governorates of Sana’a, Aden, Hajjah, and Saadah to gauge the impact the conflict has had on them and the issues that they are facing. Their responses underline the disastrous impact the conflict is having on Yemen’s children.
The in-depth interviews found that since the beginning of the bloody war in March 2015, an estimated 19 per cent of Yemeni children have been subjected to violence and abuse, with a further 17 per cent living in abandoned schools, and six per cent surviving on the streets or staying in make-shift shelters, according to the report results, 12% are now the main bread-winners for their families, with many describing being forced to beg for free food or clean water at nearby markets or from host communities.
Nearly half of the children surveyed said they didn’t feel safe in the settlements they have been displaced to, with 45 per cent stating that there were no doctors or nurses present at health centres when they had visited, and almost one quarter preferring to stay at home when they were sick because they were too scared to venture outside.
‘We have a very small window to avert a massive humanitarian catastrophe in Yemen, but without action now there will be immense death and suffering. More aid desperately needs to get in, and civilians, above all children, need to be protected,’ warns Edward Santiago, the Country Director of Save the Children –Yemen Office.
These interview results underline the disastrous impact the conflict is having on Yemen’s children. Everyday children are going hungry and thirsty, being displaced from their homes, being forced out of school, or find themselves at profound risk of abuse, injury and even death.
“ Time is now running out to avert a man-made humanitarian catastrophe. More funding is critical and all parties to the conflict need to agree an immediate end to the violence or an entire generation runs the risk of suffering for years to come.” Says Santiago.
Many children have witnessed violence and the destruction of their homes. Children have told Save the Children staff that they would like to go back home and resume their normal life as they miss their daily activities and their friends. Parents are also concerned about the psychological impact the violence is having on their children. Following the airstrikes some children have shown signs of distress, having nightmares or being afraid of loud noises.