Sana’a At least 24 children have been killed so far in the ongoing civil unrest in Yemen, while several hundreds have sustained injuries, said the Sana’a-based Unicef representative in a statement on Saturday.
“This is extremely alarming”, said Geert Cappelaere, the Unicef official. “I am gravely concerned about this escalation of violence, especially with regard to the number of child casualties, which keeps increasing.”
Report
According to information gathered by local NGO Seyaj, a Unicef partner, the total number of child casualties in the unrest between February 18 and April 8 is 662, including 24 deaths. If the child victims of the explosion at the ammunition factory in Abyan are included, the number jumps to 693 casualties in total, including 37 deaths. This information is systematically collected by Seyaj monitors in major cities and centres of unrest including Sana’a, Hudaida, Taiz, Abyan, Aden, Ibb, Sa’ada, Dhale, Dhamar, Al Baida’, Amran, Hadhramout and Al Jawf.
The Seyaj report revealed the total number of children injured by live ammunition to be 31. Injuries due to physical violence were sustained by 47 children, while 552 suffered injuries caused by tear gas. Moreover, eight children have been arrested or unlawfully imprisoned.
“The government has an obligation to strictly abide by the Convention on the Rights of the Child, as well as International Human Rights and Humanitarian Law, whether the country is in a declared State of Emergency or not,” asserted Cappelaere, adding that protecting minors from violence and abuse is a universal responsibility all parties to the conflict are bound by.
While children must be guaranteed the right of association and freedom of expression, in the current climate of spiralling tension, children in Yemen have been exposed to exploitation, as well as life-threatening dangers and far too often pay a heavy price with their physical and mental wellbeing.
662
child victims in two months of unrest
24
children died in about two months of unrest
By Nasser Arrabyeea
