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Between children’s homes and schools, there can be tens, if not hundreds, of landmines. The roads leading there have been mined, as have the schools themselves, being littered about courts and yards. This is the case in a number of Yemeni schools, after being taken by militias and used as impromptu bases and weapon production facilities. Before fleeing, they mine these schools, in their typical haphazard manner.
Studying, for many children in Yemen, has become either a distant memory or a daily trial, risking their lives in an attempt to further their education. This is especially true in cities like Taiz. Naturally, this has made parents reluctant to send their children to school, for fear of loss of life or limb.
Effectively, this leads to a choice between illiteracy, disability, and death. While it is entirely understandable to withhold education in these circumstances, some parents have taken steps to help ensure the safety of their children. Taken specific routes to school, can, to an extent, mitigate some of the risk traveling in previously mined areas, and in some places, they’ve gone a step farther.
Small walls and walkways to allow children to move in relative safety have been built in a makeshift fashion, and some await the arrival of humanitarian aid before risking anything. Still others await the defusing and removal of the mines strewn about the area, before allowing their children to continue their education.