SANA’A/AMMAN/ HONG KONG, 29 March 2016 – A brutal conflict and a fast-deteriorating humanitarian situation are devastating the lives of millions of children in Yemen and have brought the country to the point of collapse. A UNICEF report “Children on the Brink” highlights the heavy toll that the violence in Yemen is having on children and the deterioration in an already precarious humanitarian situation.

UNICEF verified more than 1,560 incidents of grave violations again children in Yemen. As a result, over 900 children were killed and more than 1,300 were injured in the past year alone. On average, at least six children have been killed or injured every day. These numbers are almost seven times higher than the whole of 2014. With more than 50 verified attacks on schools, children were also killed while at school or on their way to or from school. These numbers represent the tip of the iceberg as they only indicate the cases that UNICEF was able to verify.

SANA’A, Yemen/ HONG KONG, 25 January 2016 – Few people may be be aware that superstar Lionel Messi, born and raised in central Argentina, was diagnosed with a growth hormone deficiency as a child. At age 13, he relocated to Spain to join FC Barcelona, who agreed to pay for his medical treatment. A star was born, and the rest, they say, is history.

IBB, Yemen/ HONG KONG, 18 January 2016 – For 37-year-old Mariyam, survival is a daily challenge. The days pass slowly, but it’s the evenings when pain and panic grip her. Her 13 children look to her for food, but there is none to offer. Her husband manages to bring back some leftovers from restaurants, but even that is not enough to feed 13 growing children. The meal lasts less than a minute, as all the children quickly swallow whatever they can get their hands on. Mariyam and her husband can only watch their children in despair.