Desk review yemen

3.Child Protection needs as exacerbated by the crisis

58 humanitarian partners are currently operational in Yemen, including 24 national NGOs⁴, 24 international NGOs⁵, 9 UN AFPs, 4 government agencies and 1 international organization. However, there are less than 15 partners operational in all except two governorates (Hajjah and Amran).⁵²

Dangers and Injuries

Overview/Issue

The continuing heavy air raids put children at risk of death and injuries, especially through the indiscriminate bombing of market places, resident neighborhoods, schools and hospitals. As a consequence, there are many half-destroyed houses and debris that become a hazard to children.

Evidence indicates that the Saudi-led coalition used banned cluster munitions in airstrikes against Houthi forces. Cluster munitions pose long-term dangers to civilians and are prohibited by a 2008 treaty adopted by 116 countries, though not Saudi Arabia, Yemen, or the United States.⁵³ Cluster munitions contain dozens or hundreds of submunitions. The submunitions are designed to explode after spreading out over a wide area, often the size of a football field, putting anyone in the area at the time of the attack at risk of death or injury. Many submunitions often do not explode, becoming de facto landmines.

In this crises, even lesser injuries can be fatal: MSF teams working in Yemen have witnessed pregnant women and children dying after arriving too late at the health center because of petrol shortages or having to hole up for days on end while waiting for a lull in the fighting. People requiring emergency medical treatment have also died after being held up at roadblocks guarded by combatants.⁵⁴