[Date: Recent]

[Note: partially no sound]

The prolonged war and political instability in Yemen have crippled Yemen's school system, leaving millions of children without access to basic education.

Over the past nine years, the war has killed and injured tens of thousands of children and destroyed numerous educational facilities, depriving millions of their right to education.

According to the United Nations, the illiteracy rate in the war-torn country has soared to 70 percent.

Thirteen-year-old Mohammed Fuad was a student at the Ibrahim Aqeel School in Taiz, Yemen's third-largest city, until the school building was reduced to rubble by the Saudi-led coalition. However, this setback hasn't deterred him from pursuing his education.

He shared his experience of the devastating impact of the conflict.

"The school where I studied was destroyed because of the war, but we had to go back to study there. There are no windows and doors, the sun gets in, the cold, the dust, the wind - the floor is full of sand. We are scared the ceiling will fall on top of us," said Fuad.

According to Mohammed, the limited number of classrooms in his school has compelled them to divide students into morning and evening shifts.

The dire situation extends beyond Mohammed's school, as many educational facilities lack essential equipment and resources.

Overcrowding, a shortage of teachers, and the long distances that children from conflict-affected areas must travel to reach school further compound the challenges they face.

Peter Hawkins, the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) representative in Yemen, has seen firsthand the impact of the conflict on schools and recalled a visit to a three-story school in Sada'a that was heavily damaged.

"The schools themselves have been badly affected by the conflict. They've been degraded, they've been damaged. A lot of them have no access or exit points that are attractive to children. So actually, going to school is not an attractive proposition for many of the children. I remember in Sada'a I went to one school. It was right out in the countryside. I stopped at that school. It was three floors completely damaged. The floors were covered in water, the walls were open, and yet the children were sitting there learning and learning well," said Hawkins.

The combination of war, mass displacement and political instability render efforts to prop up the education system in Yemen hugely difficult.

"Education in Yemen has suffered severe and significant damages due to the war. Approximately 6,858 schools have ceased to provide educational services due to partial or total destruction," said Abdul Wasai Al Fatki, a human rights activist.

SHOTLIST

Taiz, Yemen - Recent
1. Aerial shot of war-torn school buildings;
2. Various of student Mohammed Fuad walking to destroyed school;
3. Students having class;
4. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Mohammed Fuad, student (starting with shot 3):
"The school where I studied was destroyed because of the war, but We had to go back to study there. There are no windows and doors, the sun gets in, the cold, the dust, the wind - the floor is full of sand. We are scared the ceiling will fall on top of us.";
5. Various of students having class;
6. Various of destroyed buildings, debris;
7. SOUNDBITE (English) Peter Hawkins, UNICEF representative in Yemen:
"The schools themselves have been badly affected by the conflict. They've been degraded, they've been damaged. A lot of them have no access or exit points that are attractive to children. So actually, going to school is not an attractive proposition for many of the children. I remember in Sada’a I went to one school. It was right out in the countryside. I stopped at that school. It was three floors completely damaged. The floors were covered in water, the walls were open, and yet the children was sitting there learning and learning well.";
8. Various of children playing at destroyed buildings;
9. Various of children at street, people shopping;
10. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Abdul Wasai Al Fatki, human rights activist:
"Education in Yemen has suffered severe and significant damages due to the war. Approximately 6,858 schools have ceased to provide educational services due to partial or total destruction.";
11. Various of destroyed buildings.

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