Yemen: Floods, war, education. The many emergencies of a forgotten country

The heavy rains of recent weeks have claimed dozens of victims, including children. Thirty-five thousand families have been affected, many of them already internally displaced. Diseases such as cholera, dengue and malaria are on the rise. UN special envoy in search of a lasting cease-fire, but diplomacy remains fragile. The drama of school drop-outs. 

Sana'a (AsiaNews) - Devastating floods, widespread poverty, child labour, a large part of the population reduced to hunger and a fragile truce that UN diplomacy is trying to shore up in an attempt to wrest a lasting ceasefire agreement from the warring factions.

Yemen, a nation that has been at war for some time, as Pope Francis recalled on 24 August, one of the few global voices to have kept the spotlight on the conflict now in its eighth year, is still experiencing a very serious crisis despite some timid steps forward. 

At the moment, the greatest source of concern is on the climatic-environmental front, due to the devastating floods that have hit the region. A note from the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICCR) speaks of "weeks of rain and floods" on an "exceptional" scale that have caused "chaos" throughout the country, "killing dozens of people, destroying houses, farmland, roads and vital infrastructure". An emergency that adds up to an overall picture 'in which millions of people are affected by ever-increasing conflict-related consequences'. 

The UN Office for Humanitarian Affairs reports 'at least 90 people died, including children' between 28 July and 10 August from the floods. To these are added 'some 35,000 families, most of them already internally displaced' who have been affected in various ways 'by the floods' in 17 different governorates.

Floods, war, displacement and food insecurity are endangering the future of the nation and its people, while basic services including drinking water, electricity and a health system that is 'extremely fragile' are at risk. Heavy rains have contributed to the spread of seasonal diseases such as cholera, dengue fever and malaria, which 'continue to claim victims' in a context where only 51% of the health facilities in the country are - at least partially - functioning and operational. 

In a climate of continuing instability and insecurity, it is even more important for experts to shore up the fragile truce renewed by the warring parties. This week, the UN special envoy to Yemen Hans Grundberg confirmed that he wanted to 'intensify' efforts for 'talks on a lasting ceasefire' and the 'resumption of the political process' led by the Yemenis themselves.

On 2 August, representatives of the Houthi rebels and the internationally recognised government extended the ceasefire (which began on 2 April and was extended to 2 October) by two months, effectively sanctioning the longest period of cessation of hostilities since the conflict began in 2014. Nevertheless, more than 150 civilians have still died in these months and this is why, the UN envoy concludes, a failure to reach an agreement 'could open new cycles of escalation of violence'. 

If the resumption of the conflict remains the greatest concern, one of the priorities is to ensure a future for the population, especially the young people who in many cases cannot even attend schools - which have recently reopened - to help support their families.

"My friends study, I can't," 12-year-old Midian Aoud, originally from Taez, tells Afp. 'I dropped out of school,' he adds, 'to help my parents'. After washing cars, the boy worked with his father Adnan, a shoemaker.

The man continues: "To study you need books, notebooks, pens. I would have liked to buy them to send my children to school, but I couldn't. We are in a state of total misery'. "My children and I," he concludes disconsolately, "are illiterate. I would have liked something better for them, but I imagine they will also become shoemakers one day. And that's no life!"

UNICEF also raises the alarm, pointing out that Yemen is experiencing a 'very serious educational crisis'. The conflict and frequent school interruptions, exacerbated by the Covid-19 pandemic, the UN children's fund note explains, have generated 'a profound impact on learning and intellectual and emotional development', damaging the mental health of at least 10.6 million children. To date, more than two million have dropped out of school, almost half a million more than in 2015; because of the conflict, 'at least one in four institutions is unusable'. 

• Yemen
• war
• truce
• humanitarian crisis
• floods
• schools
• children
• violence
• peace