The Intisaf Organization for Women’s and Children’s Rights warned that the continuation of the blockade and the deteriorating economic situation will lead to a total collapse of Yemen’s education system.
In a statement, the organization highlighted that the world is observing International Education Day under the theme “Promoting Human Rights,” while Yemen remains under a suffocating blockade and severe economic decline for 11 years—factors that have systematically disrupted the educational process and left teachers unpaid for years.
The organization emphasized that education in Yemen is no longer merely a suffering sector but now faces a “total collapse” threatening the future of entire generations. Direct targeting and the blockade have forced thousands of educational facilities out of service, with over 3,768 facilities—equivalent to 11.5 percent of all schools—suffering total or partial destruction, and some converted into shelters amid a displaced population of approximately five million people.
Intisaf also noted that the foundational pillar of education has crumbled due to the suspension of salaries for over 196,197 teachers since 2016. By 2026, the purchasing power of the remaining educational staff has dropped to its lowest levels, forcing many teachers to leave the profession in search of livelihoods, depriving more than four million additional children of their right to quality education.
The statement pointed out that schools face an annual shortage of more than 56 million printed textbooks, leaving the education process lacking even basic requirements and reducing it to a “formal procedure.” The number of students suffering from the deteriorating system and in urgent need of assistance has risen to over 8.6 million, an increase compared to previous years due to new waves of displacement and rising poverty rates.
According to the organization, international estimates for 2026 indicate that approximately 10.6 million students are experiencing the repercussions of war, while around 4.7 million children face imminent risk of dropping out. The percentage of girls leaving education has exceeded 31 percent, resulting in a rise in forced child labor among girls to 12.3 percent and a concerning increase in child marriages as a desperate coping mechanism for poor families.
Intisaf called on the international community and the United Nations to move from “concern” to “strategic action,” pressing urgently for the lifting of the blockade and the immediate payment of teachers’ salaries, warning that silence on these developments constitutes indirect participation in the destruction of the minds of future generations.
