Back to work, not school: Yemen’s crisis forces children to drop out

What the report says

In a feature published by Al Jazeera from Taiz, Yemen, the outlet reports that worsening economic hardship and war-related displacement are pushing many children out of school and into work. The story centers on 11-year-old Hasnaa Jaber, who spends her mornings collecting plastic bottles to sell for recycling instead of attending class. Her family lives in an informal settlement for people displaced by Yemen’s long-running conflict, and she says she hopes to return to school and become a teacher.

Al Jazeera says the new school year began in government-controlled parts of Yemen on August 30, but many families cannot afford the basic costs of education. Hasnaa’s father, Jaber Ali, told the outlet that rising living costs, limited work, and the need to buy food forced him to choose between sending his children to school or having them help support the household. He said school-related expenses such as books and stationery are beyond his means.

The report cites UNICEF’s estimate that 3.2 million children in Yemen are out of school this year, up from 1.8 million in 2015. It also references a UN humanitarian plan saying nearly 6.6 million children need education assistance in 2026. Al Jazeera adds that aid groups and education officials see child labour, poverty, and the collapse of basic services as major barriers to schooling. Another case in the story, 13-year-old Ahmed Abdulelah, shows how some children leave school after a parent dies and family income disappears.