‘Death is closer than school’: Yemen’s children struggle with war trauma

In October, as clashes reached Taghreed Abdulellah’s area, located about 30km from Yemen's Taiz city, the mother of three found herself unable to flee with her children, as battles had already broken out in their village. She had no choice but to gather her children, aged four, seven and 10, in the hallway to protect them from potential blasts or shrapnel coming through the windows. “Their father wasn’t at home; it was just them and me. The clashes were outside, and an explosion went off right near our home, leaving the children terrified and crying for hours,” Abdulellah told Middle East Eye. “I couldn’t stop them from crying; in fact, I broke down and joined them at times.” When the fighting quieted down, the children would stop crying, and some neighbours visited to boost their morale. New MEE newsletter: Jerusalem Dispatch Sign up to get the latest insights and analysis on Israel-Palestine, alongside Turkey Unpacked and other MEE newsletters However, as soon as the battles flared up again, the crying resumed. “This continued for four days until the fierce battles moved away from our area. But my children’s lives have completely changed for the worse,” she explained. “My children are always angry, and the two younger ones are now suffering from bedwetting, while the eldest constantly talks about losing his life and believes he will be killed at any moment, rather than thinking about his studies and future as he used to.” Abdulellah’s children used to sleep in their own room, but since the fighting started, they do not dare to sleep alone. The whole family now sleeps in one room, with the two younger children sleeping in their mother’s arms. “Nightmares terrify them every night, and during the day they refuse to leave the house because they feel they will be killed or injured if they go outside. So, they spend the entire day indoors,” Abdulellah said. Battles in Taiz Public schools across Taiz governorate, including Taiz city and rural areas, have been closed since 4 October, as it is unsafe for children to attend school. It is also unsafe for children to play outside, as shelling and air strikes hit almost every district in the area. Abdulellah believes it is unsafe for her children to go outside, yet she wants them to be able to so they can resume a normal life and heal from the psychological trauma they are facing. Yemen war: Taiz villagers face tough choices as fighters move in Read More » “It is the first time in my life that I have seen my children feel so lost. They don’t want to play, they don’t want to study, and they only talk about the war. I am worried this will impact the rest of their lives even when normal life returns.” On 4 October, Houthi forces advanced into large areas of Taiz governorate, taking control of most of the governorate and seizing all roads leading to Taiz city. Battles are currently ongoing around Taiz city and in rural areas, as the Houthis, officially known as Ansar Allah, attempt to push from Taiz toward Lahij governorate while also trying to take full control of Taiz city. Saudi-led air strikes have targeted Houthi forces in the rural areas of Taiz and around Taiz city, which have also taken a heavy toll on children in those areas. The World Health Organization has reported that 1,677 people were killed and more than 7,395 injured across Yemen between August and late October 2026 amid renewed clashes between government forces and Houthis. The executive manager of the Taiz Human Rights Centre civil society organization, Mazen Aqlan, told MEE that 19 children were killed and 49 injured in Taiz governorate in October 2026. Severe psychological impact Odai, 13, is a child in Taiz city whose life has also completely changed. He used to spend his mornings at school and his afternoons playing with friends. But since 4 October, he has spent most of his days and nights scrolling through his phone, only leaving the house briefly to sit with friends and adults under a nearby tree. The main issue, however, lies in the photos and videos he views on his mobile, along with the stories he hears from adults about what happened in 2015 when fighting reached their neighbourhood and civilians, including children, were killed or injured. “Life isn’t easy, and death is close to everyone,” Odai told MEE. “We were focused on our studies and weren’t aware that a person could lose their life in a single minute. That is what happened to many people, both nowadays and during the last war.” 'If Houthi shelling does not kill us, the diseases will': Yemenis in besieged Taiz bemoan neglect Read More » Odai, who is in the seventh grade, appears mature for his age, but the ongoing developments and the stories he hears have shifted his priorities from his education to thoughts of the afterlife, something that is not typical for a child his age. When asked about his priorities and whether they should focus on his studies, he laughed and said: “Studying is important, but there is no guarantee we will stay alive until schools reopen. Death is closer to us than resuming our education.” MEE spoke with Odai’s father, in his 50s, who preferred to remain anonymous. He confirmed that Odai was not like this until last month, when he heard a story about a child killed in the city and saw related photos and videos, leaving him deeply affected. “We do our best to keep our children away from the fighting. We keep them at home and don’t allow them to venture outside, especially to far areas, but it is difficult to keep a child mentally stable in this environment,” Odai’s father told MEE. “Mobile phones and the stories they hear from friends leave a severe psychological impact on children, especially when they see photos of killed children. That is out of our control.” He added that such horrifying scenes impact even adults like himself, not just children. He believes the best solution is for local authorities and organisations to provide immediate psychological support during these difficult times. “During wartime, everyone worries about the physical safety of their children, and only a few care about their psychological well-being - which is just as important, as its long-term impact can be devastating,” he said. Gap between needs and support The Taiz Human Rights Centre's Aqlan told MEE: “There are more than 100,000 children in Taiz governorate who have witnessed the horrors of war and been traumatised by its shells, explosions and tragedies. They are in urgent need of psychological care.” He identified the group most in need of psychological support as the families who have lost loved ones, had their homes shelled, been displaced or have directly suffered from the consequences of the war. Women and children gather at a temporary shelter for displaced people at Shawkani school, north of Aden, Yemen, 15 September 2026 (AFP) In mid-September, prior to the recent escalation around Taiz city, the UN children's agency Unicef reported that over 57,000 children had been displaced in just a two-week period. While the Taiz Human Rights Centre estimates that over 100,000 children need psychological support in the governorate, the UN reported earlier this year, before the recent military escalation, that 12.2 million children across the country were in need of humanitarian assistance. The Social Affairs and Labour Office in Taiz governorate stated on Sunday that non-governmental humanitarian organisations operating in the governorate provided psychosocial support services to 719 children, while 219 boys and girls received psychological first aid sessions. Future at risk Psychologist Saba al-Sabri, who works with several institutions providing psychological support in Taiz, confirmed that clear behavioural changes in children have been observed over the past month. “These behaviours include non-acceptance of others, grief over loss, continuous fear, nervousness, bedwetting, clinging to parents even during sleep, and a total loss of motivation to learn because they believe they will die or become disabled, all of which severely affect the children’s future,” Sabri told MEE. Yemen: Parents in Taiz demand answers over alleged rape of their children Read More » She said that the counselling sessions provided by humanitarian initiatives and organisations remain far too few compared to the immense need that has persisted for over 11 years. “These recent events have added new children to the list of those in need, making psychological support vital to preserving the next generation.” Sabri pointed out that some parents do not realise the severity of psychological trauma on children, and instead focus solely on basic survival, which represents a disaster for the child. “Ignoring a child’s feelings and failing to sit and communicate with them leaves a deep negative impact on their well-being.” Most children currently do not leave their homes. Sabri noted that children are naturally energetic and need to play outside; depriving them of this heightens stress and nervousness, weakens their personality development and worsens their mood. Abdulellah, the mother of the three children who witnessed the fighting and were traumatised, strongly believes in psychological treatment, but it remains inaccessible to them. “If psychological treatment were available, I wouldn’t hesitate to take my children. But we are in a time of war, and it is hard to access such services since they are usually only available in the city.”