War in Yemen rages on, placing its citizens in ever-intensifying hardship. March 2020 marked 5 years since the brutal conflict began in Yemen. The civil war continues between the Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi-led Yemeni government and the Houthi armed movement. The two groups claim to run the government. Due to the half a decade-long conflict 80% of Yemen’s population is in need of humanitarian assistance. UNICEF reported that this population includes more than 12 million children. This has resulted in Yemen being considered the largest humanitarian crisis in the world.
THE CRISIS HAS PARTICULARLY AFFECTED CHILDREN
Children are unable to go to school
Due to the current state of conflict in Yemen, many children have been unable to continue their education. The war has heavily disrupted Yemen’s education system with parents being unable to send their children to school due to their inability to afford educational materials. A spokesperson from UNICEF said: “In the worst affected areas of Hudaydah, only one in three students are able to continue their education and less than a quarter of all teachers are present in school”. Organisations like UNICEF are focusing their efforts on providing easier access to education across Yemen. This includes launching summer camps for students. Teachers are provided with training on psychosocial support which is helping many students. Through UNICEF’s educational programme, children are receiving psychological assistance including counselling activities, so that they can better cope with the traumatic experiences this conflict forces them to confront.
Children becoming victim of malnutrition and cholera
Due to the brutal war, at least one in ten children across Yemen have been forced to leave their homes, exposing them to hunger, diseases such as cholera, and violence. Families have been displaced to the different governorates. Many have become victims of malnutrition. According to statistics from the World Food Programme (WFP) 20.1 million people suffer from hunger in Yemen. The WFP are also playing their part in collecting donations to help the people of Yemen.
Unlawful airstrikes are in breach of international human rights law
Human Rights Watch recorded that there have been at least 90 unlawful airstrikes by the Saudi-led coalition. This has increased the number of civilian deaths, destroyed homes, markets, hospitals, and schools. According to the Yemen Data Project, the total civilian casualties from 2015-2019 are 17729, out of which 25% are women and children. A statistical bright spot was provided by Mr Raja Singham, the Director of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, who stated: “On the whole, Yemen is less dangerous for civilians than it was before the Stockholm Agreement was created one year ago, with casualties in 2019 about 35 per cent lower than 2018 and fatalities down by almost half.”
THE IMPACT OF CORONAVIRUS ON YEMEN
A report from Mwatana, a human rights organisation in Yemen, published in March 2020 states that due to the airstrikes and shelling between the Saudi Emirati-led coalition, Houdi Armed Group, and Yemeni government, many medical institutions including hospital facilities have been destroyed. The recent coronavirus outbreak has engendered fear amongst civilians as it has become extremely difficult for them to receive medical check-ups. Civilians with existing medical conditions such as cholera are the most vulnerable. The World Health Organisation (WHO) is also working with local health authorities to do its best to provide treatment to the civilians of Yemen currently suffering from cholera.
WHAT MEASURES HAVE BEEN TAKEN?
In a recent Security Council meeting, the Director for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs stated that: “We are doing everything which we can to mitigate the impact of this crisis”. They aim to assist 15.6 million people in 2020. Assistance is being given to maintain adequate commercial import flow upon which Yemen is very dependent. Actions have been taken to run a regular programme of foreign exchange injections that would help lower the exchange rate and by extension make it easier for people to afford what they need to survive.
In a recent humanitarian council meeting hosted by the European Commission, several humanitarian organisations have also shown their concerns and decided to take actions collaboratively. They reaffirmed their full support for the UN, INGOs, and other humanitarian organisations. They agreed to remain engaged and ready to help the Yemeni population, recalling the obligation by all parties to protect civilians and to comply with international humanitarian law. Organisations like Save the Children, UNICEF, and the International Rescue Committee (IRC) are also collecting donations for Yemen’s civilians.
It remains uncertain as to how many more years it will take for conflict in Yemen to end and for it to become a peaceful and stable country for its citizens. Yemen’s children and civilians are waiting for peace and desperate to start their normal lives again. The aid from various humanitarian organisations has helped reduce the high level of child malnutrition in Yemen. However, according to the IRC, the continuity of the war could possibly cost a further £29 billion in humanitarian aid. It seems that it could be difficult for Yemen to reach to its pre-crisis condition. Measures taken by different international organisations will hopefully reduce the traumatic effects of the civil war on Yemenis.
Robina is a LLB graduate of the University of Sheffield. She is an aspiring barrister who is currently studying the LLM and the Bar Course. She is extremely passionate about Human Rights and International law.