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Yemen

UNICEF Yemen Situation Report September 2014

Attachments

Key focus: Conflict in the Capital, Sana’a

Highlights:

  • Around 75,000 children in Sana’a had their education disrupted as their schools were in or around the conflict zones. Escalation of conflicts led to the suspension of all schools in the city.
  • 27,840 children are benefiting from the distribution of 9,280 benches and tables to the 32 Global Partnership for Education (GPE) schools in Sa’ada, Sana’a, Mareb and Aden Governorates

Situation Overview

During September, the conflicts in Amran and Al Jawf continued to deteriorate. Moreover, there was tension due the con-flict and the decreasing security situation in Sana'a. At the end of September, the Security Situation improved due to the Peace and National Partnership Agreement signed on 21 September 2014, which ended the armed violence that affected the capital city. However, given the reported incidents documented and verified so far, UNICEF remains deeply concerned that children continue to be affected by grave child rights violations since the intensification of armed violence in Sana’a. The majority of IDPs displaced in Amran during the recent conflict in Sana’a city have returned since the peace agreement was signed.

In Amran, 62 schools were affected by the conflict, of which, 31 schools were used by IDPs affected 7,257 (4,809 boys and 2,448 girls). UNICEF has assessed all affected schools, advocated to open them and get students back. Each of the 31 schools was given an improvement grant and 24 were selected to rehabilitate. UNICEF has undertaken a coordinated and systematic response to ensure that further disruption of schooling is avoided, successfully advocating the re-opening of Sana’a schools by 29 September as well as advocating for the armed groups to vacate schools. Moreover UNICEF has sup-ported institutions to accelerate mine clearance and mine risk education in schools and surrounding areas; and has shared key messages to parents through radio and other means to ensure that children are better protected and supported from psychosocial consequences of the conflict as well as from dangers of mines, explosive remnants of war (ERWs) and unex-ploded ordnance (UXOs).

In the southern governorates, the situation is deteriorating due to the escalation of attacks by al-Qaeda in Shabwa, Hadra-mout, Abyan and Lahj and armed conflicts in Dhale. In order to strengthen the existing services for vulnerable children in Aden, Taiz and Ibb, at least 650 social workers, front line workers, and child protection committee members (women: 359, men: 291) received comprehensive information and skills on how to identify vulnerable children, manage their cases and refer them to the specialized social workers as needed. Twenty-four newly established child protection committees are now monitoring the situation of children, referring those most vulnerable to social workers and facilitating their referral to necessary services.