Saudi ArabiaWest AsiaYemen

UNICEF: Nearly 400 Yemeni Children Killed in Saudi War

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The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) said around 400 children have been killed in Yemen since late March, when Saudi Arabia launched its brutal offensive against the Arab impoverished country.

In a report titled “Yemen: Childhood Under Threat”, the UNICEF said that as many as 398 children have been killed and nearly 600 others sustained injuries since March 26.

“Since the conflict escalated on 26 March 2015,” the report said, “Nearly three children are being killed every day and another five injured.”

The report also described Yemen as one of “the most terrifying places in the world to be a child,” stressing that almost 10 million children are in the dire need of humanitarian assistance.

“Overall, around 1.8 million children are likely to suffer from some form of malnutrition in Yemen in this year alone,” the reports said.

It said that 95 schools have been completely destroyed due to shelling or airstrikes by Saudi Arabia, and 305 other schools have been damaged since the end of March.

It said that almost 3,600 schools have been closed in the country, which has affected over 1.8 million children.

Julien Harneis, the representative for UNICEF in Yemen said, “This conflict is a particular tragedy for Yemeni children.”

“We urgently need funds so we can reach children in desperate need,” said Harneis, adding, “We cannot stand by and let children suffer the consequences of a humanitarian catastrophe.”

Yemen has been since March 26 under brutal aggression by Saudi-led coalition. Thousands have been martyred and injured in the attack, with the vast majority of them are civilians.

Riyadh launched the attack on Yemen in a bid to restore power to fugitive Hadi who is a close ally to Saudi Arabia.

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