Yemen’s displaced children dream of returning to school

What the report says

In Taiz governorate, Yemen, Al Jazeera reports that renewed fighting has pushed families like 12-year-old Ahmed’s into displacement camps, where children are spending their days without access to school. Ahmed fled his village of al-Ashroh two weeks earlier and is now living in a tent in the Wadi Bani Khawlan area of Jabal Habashi district, hoping to return to class and his teachers.

The article says the latest clashes between pro-government forces and the Houthis have deepened an already severe education crisis. UNICEF figures cited by Al Jazeera indicate that more than 137,000 students in conflict zones have lost access to education, while schools in affected areas are either closed, overcrowded or being used to shelter displaced people. The reporting also notes that more than 57,000 children were displaced in the first two weeks of September, and that the UN later said over 150,000 people had been displaced by the renewed conflict.

Interviews with local officials, aid-linked coordinators and education advocates describe how survival needs are overtaking schooling as families focus on shelter, food and water. They warn that prolonged displacement can increase risks such as child labour, exploitation and recruitment, and make it harder for children to return to learning. The piece places Yemen’s current crisis in the wider context of a war that began in 2014 and has already left millions displaced and millions of children out of school.