SANA’A, March 25, 2024 – A recent report released by Save the Children sheds light on the critical challenges facing Yemeni children’s access to education, with staggering implications for the nation’s future. Entitled ‘Hanging in the Balance: Yemeni Children’s Struggle for Education’, the report reveals that after nine years of conflict, approximately 4.5 million children – translating to two in every five – are currently out of school.
Despite a UN-brokered truce initiated in 2022, the report underscores a disheartening reality: the promise of peace has failed to translate into improved educational opportunities for Yemeni youth. Shockingly, one-third of families surveyed disclosed that at least one child had dropped out of school within the past two years, with displaced children facing twice the risk of discontinuing their education compared to their non-displaced counterparts.
While the ceasefire technically lapsed in October 2022, major hostilities have remained subdued. Nevertheless, the sense of security for the majority of students remains unchanged, with a staggering 76% reporting no perceptible increase in safety. Alarmingly, 14% of families cited violence as a direct catalyst for the decision to withdraw their children from school.
The protracted violence and the economic downturn in Yemen have exacerbated an already dire situation, with an estimated two-thirds of the population now living below the poverty line. Displacement, affecting approximately 4.5 million individuals or 14% of the population, further compounds the crisis, particularly for children whose education is disrupted amidst the chaos.
Save the Children’s analysis reveals a stark reality: displaced children face a heightened risk of dropping out of school. Moreover, while returning to their areas of origin might mitigate this risk by 20%, ongoing insecurity impedes their ability to do so effectively.
Financial barriers also loom large, with monthly school fees and textbook expenses proving prohibitive for many families. Shockingly, 20% of respondents cited these costs as unaffordable. For families struggling to make ends meet, the imperative to supplement income often supersedes the desire to prioritize education. Hani*, a teacher and father of four, exemplifies this struggle, having reluctantly withdrawn two daughters from school due to financial constraints. He laments, “School expenses alone consume over a quarter of my salary, which is insufficient to meet even our basic needs.”
In the face of such adversity, children like Rami*, a 12-year-old forced to abandon his education to support his family, embody the harsh realities confronting Yemeni youth. Rami* poignantly expresses, “How can I continue schooling when my family struggles to put food on the table? Sacrificing my education feels like the only option.”
Save the Children’s Interim Country Director in Yemen, Mohamed Mannaa, issues a sobering call to action in response to these findings. He asserts, “After nearly a decade of conflict, Yemen is in the grips of an education emergency. Urgent measures are imperative to safeguard the future of these vulnerable children.”
The ramifications of this crisis extend far beyond individual lives; they imperil the very fabric of Yemen’s future. Without immediate intervention, an entire generation faces the specter of being left behind, with enduring consequences for the nation’s recovery and development.
Save the Children urges all stakeholders – including Yemeni authorities, donor states, institutions, and humanitarian actors – to address these challenges with utmost urgency. Key recommendations include renewing efforts towards a sustainable peace process, ensuring the protection of educational institutions and students, bolstering funding for education initiatives, and expanding integrated child protection interventions.
For over six decades, Save the Children has remained steadfast in its commitment to Yemen’s children. Operating across 11 governorates, the organization is actively engaged in a spectrum of initiatives spanning food security, health, nutrition, child protection, education, and water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH). From health and nutrition programs to non-formal education initiatives and livelihood support, Save the Children endeavors to provide holistic assistance to Yemeni communities in crisis.
