Thousands of children affected after schools in Yemen are bombed

Thousands of children in Yemen have had their education disrupted by air strikes that have targeted schools, according to Amnesty International.

The human rights organisation said the attacks by the Saudi-led coalition were in breach of international humanitarian law and would have long-term effects for the students affected.

国产视频淪chools are central to civilian life 国产视频� they are meant to offer a safe space for children,国产视频� said Lama Fakih, Senior Crisis Advisor at Amnesty International who recently returned from Yemen.

国产视频淵emen国产视频檚 young school pupils are being forced to pay the price for these attacks. On top of enduring a bitter conflict, they face longer-term upheaval and disruption to their education 国产视频� a potentially lifelong burden that they will be forced to shoulder.国产视频�

The group国产视频檚 briefing 国产视频� 国产视频淥ur kids are bombed国产视频�: Schools under attack in Yemen 国产视频� investigated five air strikes on schools between August and October.

While students were not inside the schools during the attacks, they caused serious damage or destruction which will have long-term consequences for students. Five civilians were killed and at least 14 injured, including four children.

At least 34% of children in Yemen 国产视频� about 1.8 million 国产视频� have not been to school since the air strikes first began in March, according to the United Nations children国产视频檚 agency UNICEF.

The Yemeni Ministry of Education said more than 1000 schools are out of operation 国产视频� 254 completely destroyed, 608 partially damaged and 421 being used as shelters for people internally displaced by the conflict.

Amnesty International said the damage has severely disrupted the schooling of 6500 children in Hajjah, Hodeidah and Sana国产视频檃 governorates. It said there was no evidence of the schools being used for military purposes.

Among the children interviewed for the briefing was a 12-year-old from a school in Mansouriya destroyed by an airstrike in August. She said: 国产视频淩ight now we are living in fear and in terror.

国产视频淭oday I saw the plane and I was very afraid and terrified. The sound today was loud but the feeling I had was like that of all of the girls at school today, of course we are afraid.国产视频�

Students, teachers and school buildings have been attacked in more than 70 countries in recent years 国产视频� by armed groups, state soldiers and criminal gangs.

To counteract this, more than 50 countries have now signed the Safe Schools Declaration. It commits them to protect education from attack and to use the Guidelines for Protecting Schools and Universities from Military Use during Armed Conflict.

Schools and temporary learning spaces provide safe and secure environments for children to be with each other and begin to cope with the trauma of living through an emergency.

Find out what国产视频檚 being done to help education in emergencies

Amnesty International said countries including the United States and United Kingdom should suspend the sale of weapons to the Saudi-led coalition 国产视频� which intervened earlier this year against Houthi rebels who had toppled the government. UN-sponsored peace talks are starting tomorrow in Switzerland.

Senior figures in the UK国产视频檚 ruling Conservative party have criticised the selling of arms and backing for Saudi Arabia国产视频檚 position on Yemen 国产视频� where $600 million of British taxpayers国产视频� money has gone to aid.

Andrew Mitchell, former Secretary of State for International Development, said today: 国产视频淏ritain国产视频檚 humanitarian and foreign policy are pursuing different ends.国产视频澛�