One child killed and two injured in Yemen IED explosion

ADEN, 18 December 2025 – At least five people have been killed, including one child, and six injured, including two children, following an IED attack in southern Yemen on Thursday.

The three children, aged between seven and 14, were on their way home from school in Taiz after finishing their mid-year exams when the attack took place. One child sustained a serious head injury while the other was injured by shrapnel to the head, leg, and hand. The two surviving children are currently in hospital where they are receiving medical treatment supported by Save the Children Yemen. At least 107 civilians, including 9 children, were killed or injured due to the conflict in Yemen in November 2025, according to the Civilian Impact Monitoring Project.

Children in Yemen continue to be at risk of attack at or on their way to school, resulting in death, life-changing injuries, and school drop-out. In early 2025, two schools were hit by airstrikes, while more than a quarter of child casualties in 2024 were due to armed violence in or near schools.[1] 

Save the Children Yemen’s Country Director, Mohamed Mannaa, said:

“While many children and families around the world prepare to celebrate the holidays, children in Yemen continue to be killed and injured on a near daily-basis. It is devastating to hear of this attack on children returning home from school. These attacks are a grave violation of children’s rights and underscore the urgent need to protect children everywhere – including at and on their way to school. Our thoughts are with the victims and their families.”

Save the Children calls on all parties to the conflict to strengthen protections for students, teachers and education facilities, including through implementation and endorsement of the Safe Schools Declaration. At the same time, donors must urgently restore and increase funding for victim assistance initiatives. These life-saving efforts are critical to protect vulnerable communities, especially children, from the deadly impact of explosive weapons, such as IEDs and landmines.

Save the Children has been working in Yemen since 1963. Child protection remains at the heart of our programmes, including specialized care and assistance for children injured by explosive weapons.