Yemen: Hopes that truce will give children much-needed respite from violence

SAAN’A, 2 April – Save the Children welcomes a two-month truce announced yesterday by parties to the conflict in Yemen, as a potential respite for children and their families suffering through the country’s seven-year conflict

The truce is slated to come into effect today (2 April), at the start of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. The truce agreement came after a significant escalation of violence in recent months which has killed at least 600 people, including 45 children in January alone.

As Yemen marked its seventh year of conflict last month, a report by Save the Children, No Place is Safe  - which included a survey of 400 children from eight of Yemen’s 21 governates - was a stark reminder that children and families are paying the heaviest price for this brutal war.   

Save the Children’s Country Director for Yemen, Rama Hansraj, said: 

“This truce is welcome news and we hope it will mean that children in Yemen will receive a much-needed respite from all the violence of the past seven years. 

“Over the last few months we have seen a significant increase in fighting coupled with tightened virtual blockade of main ports and airports leading to acute economic crises, which is exacerbating the humanitarian needs of civilians to a great extent.”

“Yemenis are exhausted and are hoping this announcement is a step in the right direction. Many have seen loved ones die before their eyes and almost every house has been heavily impacted by this conflict. This s the bleak reality for children trying to survive in some of the worst humanitarian crises in the world. However, we must continue to work together to ultimately bring the humanitarian crisis to an end.” 

Save the Children calls on warring parties to respect International Humanitarian Law and International Human Rights Law and take all adequate measures to protect civilians and civilian structures in times of conflict. In an open letter to the UK’s Home Secretary, the humanitarian sector including Save the Children warns of catastrophic consequences for people in Yemen if proposals to proscribe the Houthis go ahead.

ENDS  

For further enquiries please contact:

Ahmad Baroudi ahmad.baroudi@savethechildren.org

Our media out of hours (BST) contact is media@savethechildren.org.uk / +44(0)7831 650409