Yemen reaffirms its commitment to protecting children’s rights and ensuring a healthy, conducive educational environment.

Yemen Reaffirms Commitment to Child Rights

The Republic of Yemen has reiterated its commitment to protecting children’s rights and ensuring a healthy, educational environment for a secure future. This affirmation came during a statement delivered by Yemen’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Ambassador Abdullah Al-Saadi, at the 2025 UNICEF regular session.

Strengthening Partnerships with UNICEF

Ambassador Al-Saadi praised the existing partnership between the Yemeni government and UNICEF. He emphasized the importance of enhancing this collaboration to support vital sectors in Yemen, particularly health, education, and water.

The Humanitarian Crisis

The ambassador highlighted the catastrophic economic, humanitarian, and social conditions resulting from the Houthi militia’s war over the past decade. Millions of Yemenis now face poverty, food insecurity, and malnutrition, especially among women, children, and the elderly. He pointed out the current health crisis in several provinces due to the recent outbreak of epidemic fevers. The Yemeni government is making intensive efforts to contain this outbreak, improve epidemiological monitoring, and expand treatment and preventive responses. However, these challenges hinder the government’s recovery efforts, necessitating urgent action to address pressing humanitarian needs.

Urgent Need for International Support

Ambassador Al-Saadi expressed hope for increased international support for the Yemeni government’s efforts to tackle these challenges. He warned that the significant funding gap facing the 2025 humanitarian response plan could have catastrophic effects across various sectors, particularly health and education. He called on the international community and UN agencies, especially UNICEF, to enhance support to ensure essential healthcare services. He stressed the need for sustainable funding to maintain the efficiency and continuity of the health system, educational framework, and social protection.

Violations Against Children

The ambassador noted severe violations against children in areas controlled by the Houthi militia. He reiterated the Yemeni government’s repeated warnings about the militia’s ongoing recruitment of children, which constitutes the largest child conscription operation in modern times. The militia has enlisted tens of thousands of children, training them in what they call "summer camps" before deploying them in warfare, violating international norms and children’s rights.

Distortion of Educational Content

Ambassador Al-Saadi also pointed out that the Houthi militia is altering school curricula to align with its extremist ideology. This manipulation aims to indoctrinate children with concepts of hatred, extremism, and terrorism, threatening the unity, security, and stability of Yemeni society and the region. Such actions jeopardize the present and future of children and upcoming generations.

Call for Action

The ambassador emphasized that the ongoing conflict has deprived millions of children of education. The Houthi militia has turned schools into military barracks, using them in the conflict. He urged the international community and UNICEF to take decisive action to halt these grave violations against Yemeni children and hold the perpetrators accountable.

To follow the news in Arabic