GENEVA — Children in the Saada governorate of northern Yemen are traveling on foot through areas under artillery fire to reach improvised schools, a pattern documented by humanitarian monitors as the country marks more than a decade of civil war.
Daily trek under fire
Parents in villages near the front line say their children walk up to three kilometres each way, navigating craters, abandoned vehicles and the occasional burst of mortar fire. The routes often cross roads used by armed groups for supply convoys, exposing pupils to the risk of sniper fire that has been reported in the same corridors for months.
Local teachers have set up tented classrooms in the open fields of the valley, where the only shelter is a thin canvas roof. The makeshift facilities lack electricity, running water and basic learning materials, yet they remain the only option for children whose regular schools have been destroyed or occupied by combatants.
Humanitarian context
The United Nations estimates that more than 2.3 million children in Yemen are out of school, a figure that has risen steadily since the conflict intensified in 2022. UNICEF and the UN Children’s Fund have warned that prolonged disruption of education increases the risk of child recruitment by armed groups and deepens long‑term socioeconomic gaps.
Humanitarian agencies operating in the region report that school buildings have been hit by 1,200 documented airstrikes and ground engagements since 2020. Damage assessments show that roughly 40 % of public schools in the Saada and Hajjah provinces are either partially or fully unusable.
Risk assessment and protection measures
International NGOs have attempted to map safe corridors for students, coordinating with local authorities and, where possible, with representatives of the Houthi movement that controls much of the area. The corridors are marked with white flags and temporary signage, but the fluid nature of front‑line movements means that safety cannot be guaranteed.
“We have no choice but to send our children to school, even if it means crossing a line where mortars land,” said a mother from a village near the town of Saada, speaking on condition of anonymity. She added that the alternative—keeping children at home—exposes them to malnutrition and child labour.
Government and rebel responses
The internationally recognised Yemeni government, operating from Aden, has called for a ceasefire in the northern provinces to protect civilians, including schoolchildren. In a statement released on 4 October, the Ministry of Education pledged to rebuild damaged schools once hostilities subside.
The Houthi leadership, which controls the Saada region, has issued a public notice urging “all parties to respect the sanctity of education” and to refrain from targeting civilian infrastructure. The group has also announced the deployment of a limited number of medical teams to assist children injured in the vicinity of schools.
International reaction
The United Nations Security Council has repeatedly urged all combatants in Yemen to observe international humanitarian law, which obliges parties to the conflict to protect schools and children. A recent briefing by the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) highlighted the need for an immediate humanitarian pause to allow safe access for teachers and students.
European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell, speaking at a press conference in Brussels on 5 October, called the situation “a stark reminder that the war’s civilian toll is still rising” and urged donor nations to increase funding for education‑focused relief programmes.
Long‑term implications
Education experts warn that the disruption of schooling for an entire generation could have lasting effects on Yemen’s reconstruction prospects. A World Bank analysis released in September projected that each year of lost schooling reduces future earnings by up to 10 % for affected cohorts.
Despite the hazards, community leaders continue to organise daily trips for children, relying on volunteers to escort groups and to provide basic first‑aid kits. The resilience of these communities underscores a broader pattern observed across conflict zones: when formal state structures fail, local actors often step in to fill the gap.
Looking ahead
As peace talks in Riyadh remain stalled, the immediate future for Yemen’s schoolchildren hinges on the ability of humanitarian actors to secure and maintain safe routes. Until a durable ceasefire is achieved, the daily journey of children across sniper‑covered terrain is likely to persist, marking another chapter in the protracted human cost of the Yemen conflict.