Khabar Khair (Only Good News) 

According to the Human Development Index of the United Nations Development Programme, the years of schooling for females have declined from 7.6 years in 2011 to 7.4 years in 2019. The education sector and its facilities have been widely affected and children throughout the country are increasingly afraid to attend school for fear of armed confrontation and shelling.

For the first time in Yemen and through the UNDP Peace Support Facility, a project dedicated to awareness-raising and training of male and female students and pedagogical staff was implemented in 50 schools to help alleviate these concerns.

In order to reduce the concerns of the community, parents, school staff, and students, a project to support the resilience and emergency capacity of schools in Yemen was established to focus on preventive measures during emergencies,  specifying the steps to be followed in order to safely and smoothly evacuate school facilities. In partnership with the Office of the Special Envoy of the Secretary-General to Yemen and Safer Yemen (a safer Yemen), evacuation training and awareness-raising efforts were carried out in Aden, Mahwit, Sana ‘a, Shabwa, Taiz and especially communities close to the conflict fronts.

With continued support for the project within the Peace Support Facility, Yemeni children can look forward to returning to their schools with confidence. This hope is heightened in the light of the ongoing peace efforts led by the United Nations. Yemeni children, like the children of the world, are entitled to appropriate and safe educational opportunities for a brighter future for Yemen.