
The aftermath of Tuesday's bombing. (Photo: ARWA RIGHTS/Twitter)
Saudi Airstrike Hits Yemen School, Killing Children, as Humanitarian Crisis Worsens
At least five people, including two children, were killed when the Saudi-led coalition bombed a primary school
A primary school in Yemen was bombed by the Saudi-led coalition on Tuesday, and five people, including two children, were killed, medics told the Middle East Eye.
A rebel group puts the death toll at eight, with 15 wounded, according to AFP.
A military official told AFP that the strike was a "mistake."
A video posted to social media Tuesday purports to show the bloody aftermath of the bombing. (Warning: video is graphic.)
The U.S.-backed coalition has long been condemned by human rights advocates for killing civilians throughout its nearly two-years-long campaign against rebel Houthi groups. In the past six months alone, the coalition has bombed a funeral, a hospital, and another school.
The enduring war, which the U.S. still supports by re-fueling coalition planes, has created an ongoing humanitarian crisis--with Oxfam warning in December that the country only has enough food to feed its population for the next several months.
"Yemen is being slowly starved to death," said Mark Goldring, Oxfam Great Britain Chief Executive.
"First there were restrictions on imports--including much-needed food--when this was partially eased the cranes in the ports were bombed, then the warehouses, then the roads and the bridges. This is not by accident--it is systematic," Goldring explained.
The effect has been mass starvation, and Al Jazeera reported Sunday that many families and children are only surviving by scavenging scraps of food from landfills and garbage bins.
"It is my daily attempt to stave off the death of my family by hunger," one father of ten living in Sanaa told Al Jazeera. "I have become a frequent visitor of the rubbish dump."
The Famine Emergency Warning System characterizes Yemen as "the largest food security emergency in the world."
"The country's economy, its institutions, its ability to feed and care for its people are all on the brink of collapse," Goldring said, urging Western leaders to cut off arms sales to the coalition and push for an end to the war.
An Urgent Message From Our Co-Founder
Dear Common Dreams reader, The U.S. is on a fast track to authoritarianism like nothing I've ever seen. Meanwhile, corporate news outlets are utterly capitulating to Trump, twisting their coverage to avoid drawing his ire while lining up to stuff cash in his pockets. That's why I believe that Common Dreams is doing the best and most consequential reporting that we've ever done. Our small but mighty team is a progressive reporting powerhouse, covering the news every day that the corporate media never will. Our mission has always been simple: To inform. To inspire. And to ignite change for the common good. Now here's the key piece that I want all our readers to understand: None of this would be possible without your financial support. That's not just some fundraising cliche. It's the absolute and literal truth. We don't accept corporate advertising and never will. We don't have a paywall because we don't think people should be blocked from critical news based on their ability to pay. Everything we do is funded by the donations of readers like you. The final deadline for our crucial Summer Campaign fundraising drive is just days away, and we’re falling short of our must-hit goal. Will you donate now to help power the nonprofit, independent reporting of Common Dreams? Thank you for being a vital member of our community. Together, we can keep independent journalism alive when it’s needed most. - Craig Brown, Co-founder |
A primary school in Yemen was bombed by the Saudi-led coalition on Tuesday, and five people, including two children, were killed, medics told the Middle East Eye.
A rebel group puts the death toll at eight, with 15 wounded, according to AFP.
A military official told AFP that the strike was a "mistake."
A video posted to social media Tuesday purports to show the bloody aftermath of the bombing. (Warning: video is graphic.)
The U.S.-backed coalition has long been condemned by human rights advocates for killing civilians throughout its nearly two-years-long campaign against rebel Houthi groups. In the past six months alone, the coalition has bombed a funeral, a hospital, and another school.
The enduring war, which the U.S. still supports by re-fueling coalition planes, has created an ongoing humanitarian crisis--with Oxfam warning in December that the country only has enough food to feed its population for the next several months.
"Yemen is being slowly starved to death," said Mark Goldring, Oxfam Great Britain Chief Executive.
"First there were restrictions on imports--including much-needed food--when this was partially eased the cranes in the ports were bombed, then the warehouses, then the roads and the bridges. This is not by accident--it is systematic," Goldring explained.
The effect has been mass starvation, and Al Jazeera reported Sunday that many families and children are only surviving by scavenging scraps of food from landfills and garbage bins.
"It is my daily attempt to stave off the death of my family by hunger," one father of ten living in Sanaa told Al Jazeera. "I have become a frequent visitor of the rubbish dump."
The Famine Emergency Warning System characterizes Yemen as "the largest food security emergency in the world."
"The country's economy, its institutions, its ability to feed and care for its people are all on the brink of collapse," Goldring said, urging Western leaders to cut off arms sales to the coalition and push for an end to the war.
A primary school in Yemen was bombed by the Saudi-led coalition on Tuesday, and five people, including two children, were killed, medics told the Middle East Eye.
A rebel group puts the death toll at eight, with 15 wounded, according to AFP.
A military official told AFP that the strike was a "mistake."
A video posted to social media Tuesday purports to show the bloody aftermath of the bombing. (Warning: video is graphic.)
The U.S.-backed coalition has long been condemned by human rights advocates for killing civilians throughout its nearly two-years-long campaign against rebel Houthi groups. In the past six months alone, the coalition has bombed a funeral, a hospital, and another school.
The enduring war, which the U.S. still supports by re-fueling coalition planes, has created an ongoing humanitarian crisis--with Oxfam warning in December that the country only has enough food to feed its population for the next several months.
"Yemen is being slowly starved to death," said Mark Goldring, Oxfam Great Britain Chief Executive.
"First there were restrictions on imports--including much-needed food--when this was partially eased the cranes in the ports were bombed, then the warehouses, then the roads and the bridges. This is not by accident--it is systematic," Goldring explained.
The effect has been mass starvation, and Al Jazeera reported Sunday that many families and children are only surviving by scavenging scraps of food from landfills and garbage bins.
"It is my daily attempt to stave off the death of my family by hunger," one father of ten living in Sanaa told Al Jazeera. "I have become a frequent visitor of the rubbish dump."
The Famine Emergency Warning System characterizes Yemen as "the largest food security emergency in the world."
"The country's economy, its institutions, its ability to feed and care for its people are all on the brink of collapse," Goldring said, urging Western leaders to cut off arms sales to the coalition and push for an end to the war.