Yemeni Ministry of Education reveals extent of damage to educational system

The Yemeni Ministry of Education in the National Salvation Government has released its annual report on the losses of the education sector in Yemen during five years of the US-backed Saudi-led coalition  war and siege imposed on Yemen.

The ministry affirmed during a press conference held in the capital Sana’a that the total cost of direct losses to the education sector during 5 years of aggression and siege is approximately 3 trillion Yemeni riyals.

It explained that the coalition of aggression destroyed 412 educational facilities completely, including 110 facilities in Hajjah governorate and 106 schools in Saada governorate.

The Ministry indicated that the aggression coalition partially destroyed 1,491 schools, while it caused the closure of 756 schools, including 179 in Saada governorate alone.

The statement stressed that the aggression and the siege caused 3,652 educational facilities to be damaged, directly and indirectly, and affected nearly two million students throughout the Republic.

The aggression and the blockade have cut the salaries of more than 196,000 teachers and employees in the field of education.

The Ministry pointed out that the average annual deficit in printing textbooks reached 84%, equivalent to only one copy of the curriculum for 7 students. The shortage of books is worsened by the destruction of over 56 million books due to the conflict.

Education official Radhwan al-Ezzi reviewed the numbers and statistics that reflect the size of the damage to education due to the direct targeting of schools and educational facilities amounting to 3,652 schools and educational facilities, from which about 1,898,220 students benefit.