UNICEF: Displacement of 79,000 Children Due to Escalation in Western Yemen

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The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) announced the displacement of nearly 79,000 children in western Yemen due to military escalation since the third of September last month.

The UN agency reported in a statement published on the X platform today, Friday, that "across western Yemen, the renewed conflict and changing front lines have deepened an already dire humanitarian crisis."

The organization pointed out that the battles in Taiz, Hodeidah, the western coast, and the surrounding areas have forced families to flee once again, leaving behind their homes, belongings, and sources of livelihood.

It noted that "between September 3 and September 28, more than 145,000 people were displaced, including an estimated 79,000 children."

UNICEF warned that "this recent escalation coincides with a difficult humanitarian reality in a country where humanitarian needs are among the highest in the world."

It indicated that "there are more than 12 million children in Yemen in need of humanitarian assistance, while health and educational services and access to safe water have been affected by the conflict."

Regarding the humanitarian situation of the displaced in Taiz province in western Yemen, the report clarified that "there are families living in overcrowded camps with limited access to clean water, healthcare, and other basic services, and many families have arrived with only the clothes they were wearing."

The UN report emphasized that "as the conflict continues to displace families across western Yemen, humanitarian assistance remains a vital lifeline for children and family members who have already suffered years of displacement, disrupted education, and health services, and loss of income sources."

It is noteworthy that since the beginning of September, clashes between government forces and the Houthis have intensified in several areas of western Yemen, leading to casualties and the displacement of large numbers of citizens in a country facing one of the worst humanitarian and economic crises in the world.