(Sana’a – April 15, 2015) The Seyaj Organization for Child Protection warns of a humanitarian catastrophe facing more than 5 million children, including nearly one million infants, as a result of the war and blockade in Yemen.
The humanitarian situation for the majority of Yemenis has reached a critical and unbearable level due to the complete cutoff of food, medicine, and fuel deliveries to Yemen for nearly three weeks, the targeting or shutdown of power and water stations, the prevention of air and sea traffic, and the absence of humanitarian aid, all of which necessitate immediate action.
We appeal to the government of President Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi, the countries participating in the military operations, and the international community in general to expedite the implementation of practical measures and procedures to ensure the delivery of food, medicine, and energy to Yemen, while simultaneously providing humanitarian food and medical aid to the most affected areas, such as the city of Aden. Humanitarian aid alone will not be sufficient given the unprecedented deterioration of the situation.
Children are more vulnerable than others to death due to the war and the severe shortages of milk, food, drinking water, and medicine.
Information from the Monitoring and Protection Center of the Seyaj Organization indicates that:
At least three million children in Sana’a, Aden, Sa’dah, Taiz, Hodeidah, Al-Hawta, Ibb, Ataq, and Haradh are living in dire conditions due to water and electricity cuts and the scarcity of food and medical supplies.
More than five million students have been deprived of their right to education due to the near-complete cessation of the educational process and the displacement witnessed in the capital and several other governorates.
The number of displaced persons is estimated at at least half a million, the majority of whom were displaced from Sana’a, Aden, Lahj, Ibb, Al-Hawta, Ataq, and Haradh. And the villages of the border strip in northwestern Yemen returned to their original villages.
Approximately 150 schools were targeted, completely or partially destroyed, or seized and converted into military barracks and weapons depots by armed groups between mid-2014 and April 2015.
We appeal to the Houthi group, the forces loyal to former President Ali Abdullah Saleh, and the Popular Resistance not to target civilians or use them as human shields by storing weapons and military equipment in residential areas, and not to seize or obstruct humanitarian aid, ambulance crews, and relief efforts in the areas they control.
We appeal to the forces of the Decisive Storm Coalition to abide by the laws of war and avoid bombing populated areas and civilian and humanitarian institutions.
Targeting or using service and humanitarian facilities such as schools, hospitals, and water networks and sources for military purposes, and obstructing the delivery of humanitarian aid, are war crimes that violate international humanitarian law and international conventions. And related humanitarian concerns.
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