Sanaa: The Intisaf Organization for Women and Children's Rights has expressed strong criticism of the global and United Nations organizations' silence regarding the deprivation of basic rights to life and dignified living for the Yemeni people. The organization has accused these bodies of bias towards those responsible for the deaths of children and women in Yemen.
According to Yemen News Agency, the statement from Intisaf was issued on International Human Rights Day, marking the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which asserts that rights are indivisible and interconnected. The organization highlighted the international community's double standards in response to the war crimes and blockade that Yemenis have suffered for nearly 11 years.
The Intisaf Organization's statement revealed that over the past decade, the number of women and children affected by direct attacks from American, Israeli, and Saudi forces has surpassed 16,354 casualties, including both deaths and injuries. Specifically, child casualties amounted to 10,579, with 4,232 killed and 6,347 injured, while the number of women affected reached 5,775, including 2,552 killed and 3,223 injured.
The statement emphasized the catastrophic conditions resulting from the aggression and blockade, which have heightened the dangers faced by women and children in Yemen. UN reports project that by 2025, more than one million children will suffer from disabilities caused directly by ongoing hostilities and the collapse of the healthcare system.
Moreover, the statement highlighted that 6.2 million women and girls are at risk of gender-based violence, with a 63% increase in violence rates compared to pre-aggression levels. Documented crimes and assaults against women have been reported across various regions.
The organization further noted that the aggression and blockade have deprived women and children of essential healthcare, leading to targeted attacks on medical facilities and the spread of epidemics. Approximately 17 million people face severe hunger, and more than 2.6 million children under five suffer from severe malnutrition, including 630,000 with life-threatening acute malnutrition.
According to the statement, over 1.5 million women, including pregnant and breastfeeding mothers, experience malnutrition, with 650,495 suffering from moderate malnutrition. Alarmingly, a woman and six newborns die every two hours due to pregnancy or birth complications. The estimated number of women at risk of death during pregnancy or childbirth stands at around 17,000, with more than 50% of deliveries conducted by untrained individuals and nearly 70% of essential childbirth medicines unavailable due to the blockade.
The statement also indicated that approximately 8.1 million women and girls of reproductive age require assistance to access reproductive health services, with an estimated 195,000 expected to face complications necessitating medical intervention. A total of 12.5 million women need life-saving reproductive health and protection services.
The Intisaf Organization underscored the prolonged aggression and blockade, lasting nearly 11 years, as the cause of thousands of family displacements, deteriorating economic conditions, and rising poverty levels. This situation has exacerbated the suffering of women, subjecting them to numerous risks due to displacement, with over five million displaced persons, 75% of whom are women, children, and the elderly.
The statement further addressed the consequences of aggression and blockade, which have forced thousands of children into labor. Currently, around 2.1 million children, representing about 35% of those aged 5-17, are working under harsh conditions without basic rights.
The organization held the American, Israeli, and Saudi aggressors accountable for all serious crimes and violations against civilians, particularly women and children, from the onset of aggression to the present.
Intisaf called upon the international community, UN organizations, and human rights and humanitarian bodies to assume legal and humanitarian responsibility for these violations and crimes. The organization urged immediate and effective action to halt the aggression and protect civilians.
Furthermore, Intisaf demanded the formation of an independent and neutral international committee to investigate all crimes against the Yemeni people and hold accountable those proven to be involved.