13 teachers and four of their children killed in Yemen airstrike

Yemeni students and teachers protest听in Sana'a听against airstrikes

Thirteen teachers who had gathered to prepare school exams in Yemen were killed in an airstrike, along with four of their children.

Twenty others including a child were injured in the attack at a teachers' office in the city of Amran, according to the head of the United Nations children's agency UNICEF.

Anthony Lake said: 国产视频淭he educators were gathered together to prepare exams for thousands of children who had missed the end of their school year because of this brutal conflict.

国产视频淲orking after hours, they had brought their children with them, some of whom were playing outside when the bomb exploded. A selfless activity, turned in a moment into senseless bloodshed.国产视频�

The conflict in Yemen, which escalated in March, has had a devastating effect on children.听Almost 400 schools have been damaged 国产视频� 95 of them destroyed 国产视频� by airstrikes or shelling and at least 3600 schools have been closed, leaving 1.8 million children deprived of an education.

Julia Gillard, Board Chair of the Global Partnership for Education, said today she had learned of the deaths with 国产视频渦tmost dismay国产视频�. She added: 国产视频淭he dangerous and violent conflict in Yemen has severely disrupted the education of the country's children, and they and their teachers face ongoing risk.听

国产视频淲hat is occurring in Yemen only adds to the immense crisis that has engulfed tens of millions of children in the region who have become refugees due to violence and armed conflict in their countries. A generation of children is now facing the loss of their education 国产视频� and their future.国产视频�

An average of eight children have been killed or injured every day during the conflict. As well as the damaged schools, another 663 cannot be used because they are occupied by armed forces or internally displaced families.

UNICEF said yesterday that 1.8 million children in Yemen are likely to suffer from malnutrition by the end of this year. Mr Lake said:听国产视频淣o nation, no society, can afford to lose its children to conflict 国产视频� whether from direct attacks, from malnutrition, from disease, from lack of education or from the traumas of the horrors they witness.国产视频�

The Saudi-led coalition began air strikes in late March as Shi'ite Houthis entered Aden. More than 4300 people are reported to have been killed in the conflict.