This is a message from members of the Children’s Councils to world leaders to highlight one of the impacts of the conflict in Yemen on schools and education, and to stress the importance of implementing the Safe Schools Declaration, in the hope that this will lead to further action and support to protect children’s right to education.
Since the war broke out in Yemen in 2015, the education sector has been in continuous decline. This year, 3.2 million children are out of school and exposed to many risks, including child marriage, child labour, and the loss of their chance to achieve their dreams.
Alongside the collapse of the economy, which is pushing families to pull their children out of school, and the issue of teachers not receiving their salaries and repeatedly striking, the issue of attacks on schools and students has worsened the education crisis. These attacks destroy school infrastructure and create unsafe environments that hinder the continuation of education.
Today in Yemen, there are more than 2,400 schools that are either completely destroyed, partially damaged, or being used for purposes other than education because of the war. These attacks are still ongoing. Attacks on schools, students, and educators are attacks on children’s right to education and their future.
This large number of schools being out of service has led to:
- A decline in the quality of education due to overcrowded classrooms and teachers being unable to give sufficient time to each student.
- Students resorting to private schools that impose high fees which most families cannot afford.
- Students living near destroyed schools having to travel long distances to reach other schools, increasing costs and exposing them to risks.
Taiz governorate is not exempt from this reality. The governorate has 136 schools either destroyed, partially damaged, or used for non-educational purposes, and more than 380,000 children are out of school in the governorate alone.
In addition, students and teachers in Yemen continue to be directly targeted. Last year, at least 58 children were killed or injured while at school or on their way there, further increasing insecurity and contributing to dropout. Because of the conflict, many schools are inaccessible to children, forcing them to study in temporary and unsafe spaces, with some learning under trees without the most basic educational materials.
We, as Children’s Council members and our peers, have faced many dangers and have witnessed attacks on education firsthand. Some of us saw our schools bombed while we were still in the first grade; others were forced to study in abandoned and unsuitable places after their schools were damaged. We see the worry on our mothers’ faces and the fear in our fathers’ eyes every time we go to school.
If this tragedy continues, Yemen will not only lose its present but also its future for decades to come. The children who are denied education today will grow into young men and women unable to achieve their dreams, leaving behind a society unable to rise from the rubble. That is why we were delighted and proud when we learned that Yemen signed the Safe Schools Declaration in 2017. This step contributes to addressing this issue, but it is important to uphold the agreement and protect schools, education, and students.
Based on our confidence that world leaders are committed to safeguarding children’s right to education—and alongside our previous demands to resolve the teachers’ salary crisis, the lack of textbooks, and other issues that the authorities kindly engaged us on – we call for:
- Addressing the issue of attacks on education and schools, working to stop them, and engaging with all stakeholders to implement Yemen’s commitments under the Safe Schools Declaration.
- Supporting Children’s Councils in raising this recommendation to the relevant government authorities and following up on its implementation.
- Drawing the attention of, and working with, local and international organisations to rehabilitate damaged and destroyed schools so they can once again receive students.
In the end, we reaffirm that the only real solution remains peace in Yemen. Education cannot be stabilised without ending the war, and this will remain our constant demand.
As Yemeni children, we affirm that our hearts still beat with love for learning, and our eyes still shine with the desire for life. We are a generation that believes the sun will rise again, and Yemeni children will return to their schools, hold their pens, and once more draw a future they choose themselves—one not imposed on them by war.
The Safe Schools Declaration is an intergovernmental political commitment aiming to protect education during armed conflict and, so far, has been signed by 121 states. This week, countries will gather at the Fifth International Conference on the Safe Schools Declaration in Nairobi, Kenya, marking a decade of global commitment to protect education during armed conflict to ensure schools remain safe havens for learning. While the declaration is helping to protect education when implemented by governments, the rising number of humanitarian crises globally risks depriving more children of their right to an education without fear of violence or attack.
The Children’s Council is a project implemented with a local partner to enable 24 children from Taiz to advocate on issues affecting their rights and education, with children’s voices and priorities at the centre of the process. The project was funded with the generous support of the European Union.
