UNICEF expressed deep sorrow over the death of twelve-year-old Yemeni girl Fawzia Yusuf Al-Amoudi, who died while giving birth one year after being forced to marry a man twice her age.
In a statement, UNICEF Executive Director Ann Veneman described the case as tragic and stressed that forced child marriage is one of the ugliest violations of children’s rights. The statement noted that pregnancy and childbirth among girls under fifteen carry a risk of death that is many times higher than for older mothers.
The report cited information documented by Seyaj Organization for Childhood Protection, which said Fawzia had been taken out of school and married at the age of eleven, then died together with her baby after a difficult labor. Seyaj said such cases reflect the deadly consequences of poverty, low awareness, and the absence of enforceable legislation setting a minimum age for marriage.
The organization also noted that similar cases had occurred previously without systematic documentation, and called again for stronger laws and action to protect girls from child marriage and its catastrophic effects.
