“The conflict in Yemen has just passed a shameful stage with the mark of 10,000 children killed or injured (…) What makes four children every day”, denounced Tuesday James Elder, spokesperson for the Fund of Nations United for Children.
They are at least 10,000. Since the start of the conflict in 2015, ten thousand children have been killed and injured in Yemen, said Tuesday (October 19th). James Elder, spokesperson for Unicef in Geneva, returning from a mission in the country. “The conflict in Yemen has just passed a shameful stage with the mark of 10,000 children killed or injured since the fighting began in March 2015. That makes four children every day.”, denounced James Elder, spokesperson for the United Nations Children’s Fund during the regular UN briefing in Geneva.
“Of course these are the numbers that the United Nations can confirm, many more children killed and injured are not known except by their families”, he stressed.
“The humanitarian crisis in Yemen – the worst in the world – is the result of the tragic convergence of 4 threats: an enduring violent conflict, a devastated economy, crumbling services for all aid systems, be it the health, food, water or sanitation, protection and education, and a severely under-funded UN operation “, said James Elder.
“At the current level of funding, and if the fighting does not stop, Unicef cannot reach all these children” and “without more international aid these children – who have no responsibility in this conflict – will die”, he hammered.
Four out of five children in Yemen are in need of humanitarian aid, a total of 11 million minors, also recalled James Elder. In all, 400,000 of them suffer from acute malnutrition and 2 million are deprived of school.
