Yemen crisis: 8 children killed, injured in past 5 days

At least 8 children have reportedly been killed or injured in escalating violence in Yemen in the past five days.

According to the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF), more than 10,000 children have been killed or maimed since the escalation of the conflict in March 2015, between a pro-Government Saudi-led coalition, and Houthi rebels; the equivalent of four children every day.

These are just the incidents that the United Nations has been able to verify, so the true figure is "likely far higher", said the agency in a statement released on Wednesday.

In the Marib region alone, where the conflict has recently surged, eleven children have been killed or maimed in the past month.

UNICEF Executive Director, Henrietta Fore, said that "whenever the conflict in Yemen flares and violence escalates, children are the ones who pay the heaviest price."

"Families are being torn apart by horrific violence. Children cannot and must not continue to be the victims of this conflict", she added.

The agency also notes that attacks on civilians, including children, and on civilian property, can violate international humanitarian law.

UNICEF is calling on all parties to the conflict to protect civilians, prioritise the safety and grinds on the wellbeing of children, and stop attacks on civilian infrastructure and in densely populated areas.

( With inputs from ANI )

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