Yemen: shelling and airport attack lead to another unbearable day for children

An attack near Aden’s international airport that claimed 12 civilian lives on Saturday and a shelling attack in Taiz that killed three child siblings and severely injured their brother, contribute to another unbearable day for children across Yemen.

Children continue to be killed across the country and thousands of families have been displaced as a result of the ongoing hostilities. Civilian infrastructure continues to be targeted, while continued restrictions on access of humanitarian organizations to those in need of assistance severely impacts people’s lives.

Responding to the weekend attacks, Save the Children’s Country Director in Yemen, Xavier Joubert said:

‘For many Yemeni families, this weekend is one of grief. One family supported by Save the Children lost three children and another son was maimed, losing his right leg, in an attack yesterday in the city of Taiz.

‘On top of that family’s unimaginable grief, they will continue to live in a place where the next attack may come at any time. It is heartbreaking to see these relentless tragedies. The same family that lost their children yesterday, lost their cousin in a similar attack less than a year ago. Almost every child in Taiz has experienced the horrors of war, often in the form of attacks on their homes or schools.

‘Meanwhile, the incident in Aden, with child casualties still unknown, will have shocked local families to their core. For seven years now, Yemeni children have been paying the price of this war with their lives. Some of our staff working in health facilities burst into tears when asked about the children they support – and they know it could be their own children lying in the hospital bed next.’

Save the Children is calling on parties to the conflict to abide by their obligations under International Human Rights Law and International Humanitarian Law. They should protect the civilian populations from the horror of the ongoing violence, limiting the use of explosive weapons in populated areas as they risk severe harm to civilians, especially children, and take immediate, practical, measures to reduce their impact on civilians and civilian infrastructure.

Save the Children is supporting the family in Taiz who lost their children and covering the medical costs of the boy who survived and is being treated in the ICU of a local hospital.