UN: 2 million children out of school in Yemen
'Almost 3 quarters of public school teachers have not been paid their salaries in over a year,' says UNICEF
A school boy walks past Yemeni artist Haifa Subay's paintings to draw attention to ongoing Yemeni Civil war's negative affects on women and children during an exclusive interview in Sana'a, Yemen on March 15, 2018. ( Mohammed Hamoud - Anadolu Agency )
By Fatih Erel
GENEVA
About 2 million children were out of school in Yemen, the UN Children's Fund UNICEF has warned.
"Nearly half a million children have dropped out of school since the 2015 escalation of conflict in Yemen, bringing the total number of out-of-school children to 2 million," UNICEF said in a statement on Tuesday.
"Almost three quarters of public school teachers have not been paid their salaries in over a year, putting the education of an additional 4.5 million children at grave risk," UNICEF warned.
According to UNICEF, more than 2,500 schools are out of use, with two thirds damaged by attacks, 27 percent closed and 7 percent used for military purposes or as shelters for displaced people.
At least 2,419 children have been recruited in the fighting in Yemen since March 2015, UNICEF said.
Moreover, nearly half of Yemeni girls were married before age 15, according to UNICEF.
"Close to three quarters of women had been married before the age of 18, while nearly half had been married before age 15," UNICEF said.
The UN will convene a high-level pledging conference on April 3 for the humanitarian crisis in Yemen.
The UN has launched an international appeal for $2.96 billion this year. Currently 10 percent are funded.
