UNICEF says renewed hostilities push over 12 million children in Yemen deeper into crisis

15 October 2026

Renewed hostilities across Yemen are forcing families from their homes and disrupting access to health care and education, UNICEF warned from Amman on 16 September 2026.
More than 104,000 people, including over 57,000 children, were displaced in just two weeks.
The fighting across western Taiz, southern Hudaydah, Marib and other affected areas has disrupted services at 26 UNICEF-supported health facilities, while 243 schools have closed or suspended learning, affecting more than 137,000 students.
Even before the latest escalation, an estimated 12.2 million children in Yemen needed humanitarian assistance.
More than 2.2 million children under five are acutely malnourished, including over 515,000 with severe acute malnutrition, and 3.2 million school-aged children are out of school.
Around 17.8 million people lack adequate access to healthcare, water and sanitation, with only 60 per cent of health facilities fully functional.
UNICEF is expanding its emergency response to reach up to 231,000 people affected by the escalation.