Sanaa, November 27: The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) deplores the plight of children in northern Yemen where Yemeni and Saudi forces attack Shia al-Houthi fighters’ villages.
UNICEF Regional Director for the Middle East and North Africa, Sigrid Kaag, said “They are living in difficult conditions, away from their homes and schools despite significant humanitarian relief efforts.”
The senior UNICEF official added, “We continue to urge all parties to respect their obligations under humanitarian law and make protection of children a priority.”
At the al-Mazraq camp, she met with mothers and children who have been forced to flee their homes, seeing first-hand the impact the fighting has had on their lives, health and well-being. With more than 10,000 persons in the camp, conditions are packed; up to 10 families may share a single tent.
Since the beginning of the crisis in 2004, more than 175,000 people have fled the fighting in the north. Many more remain trapped in the rugged northern Sa’ada province where humanitarian agencies still have not managed to penetrate.
In mid November, UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in a report warned that the body is facing a flood of refugees from Yemen’s war-ridden province of Sa’ada.
Those fleeing the latest round of violence are increasingly seeking refuge in camps or with host families in the neighboring southern provinces of Hajjah and Amran, UNHCR said.
“This new displacement puts increasing pressure on UNHCR’s attempts to alleviate the suffering of the people in need,” UNHCR spokesperson Andrej Mahecic told reporters in Geneva.
——Agencies