Thousands of children in Yemen are trapped in the conflict. Hundreds of schools have been shut down due to the fighting.
The conflict in Yemen has affected all levels of society in the capital. Thousands of women and children are caught in the middle of the chaos in Yemen. UNICEF stated on Friday that the first shipment of medical supplies reached the Yemen capital of Sanaa.
UNICEF released a statement on Monday that indicated the amount of women and children who have suffered in the conflict. The organization said that a minimum of 74 children were killed and 44 children "maimed" since the beginning of the conflict in late March. More than 80,000 innocent individuals are currently in the middle of the conflict in Sanaa.
"Children are paying an intolerable price for this conflict. They are being killed, maimed and forced to flee their homes, their health threatened and their education interrupted. These children should be immediately afforded special respect and protection by all parties to the conflict, in line with international humanitarian law," said the Yemen Representative of UNICEF Julien Harneis.
The fighting has forced some 100,000 individuals to flee their homes to safety. Hospitals and medical facilities have been stretched thin due to overcrowding and large numbers of patients.
"Hospitals are overflowing, and even ambulances have been hijacked," said Dr. Gamila Hibatullah of UNICEF.
The supplies that landed in the capital of Yemen will be crucial in saving the lives of innocent individuals caught in the conflict. Fighting has caused living conditions to worsen dramatically as food and clean water have become difficult to acquire.
"The humanitarian situation is worsening all the time, with increasingly limited access to water, basic sanitation and critical health services. The supplies we have managed to bring in today can make the difference between life and death for children and their families -- but we know they are not enough, and we are planning more of these airlifts," said Harneis on Friday.
Though Yemen is in need of continued aid, it is difficult for aid organizations to send supplies because of the active conflict. On Thursday, UN President Ban Ki Moon expressed the immediate need for a political solution to the fighting in the Yemen.
