Save the Children press release

NEWS QUOTE: YEMEN - TWO CHILDREN AMONG EIGHT FATALITIES AT AN IFTAR GATHERING IN DEADLIEST INCIDENT FOR CIVILIANS THIS YEAR

16 Mar 2026 Yemen

Two children were among at least eight people killed when artillery shells hit an iftar gathering in Yemen in the single most deadly incident for civilians in the country so far this year.  

ADEN, 16 March 2026 – Two children were among at least eight people killed when artillery shells hit an iftar gathering in Hajjah, northern Yemen [1], with 30 others injured, including one child.

The attack was single most deadly incident for civilians in Yemen so far this year.  

This tragic incident comes following a sharp increase in child casualties in Yemen in 2025, when at least 103 children were killed and 246 injured – a 70% increase compared to 2024 - driven largely by airstrikes. [2]

Rishana Haniffa, Save the Children’s Country Director in Yemen, said:  

“We are horrified by reports that at least three children were among 38 civilians killed and injured while gathering for iftar, the evening meal that breaks the daily fast during Ramadan, in Yemen’s Hajjah governorate.  

“Ramadan should be a time of spirituality, celebration and family – but instead children are being killed and injured in the very places that should be safe havens for them.  

“A blast injury in a growing child can cause lifelong medical challenges, making recovery longer, more complex, and more costly than for adults. Children are disproportionately impacted by explosive weapons due to their smaller body size and increased vulnerability to their blast effects.

“This latest attack is a reminder that after more than a decade of war, children in Yemen are not safe.  

“All parties to the conflict in Yemen must de-escalate the crisis, stop the use of explosive weapons in populated areas, and uphold international humanitarian law to protect children at all costs.”

Save the Children has been working in Yemen since 1963. Child protection remains at the heart of our programmes, including specialised care and assistance for children injured by explosive weapons, including landmines and explosive remnants of war.  

Notes to editor

[1] According to the Civilian Impact Monitoring Project, a service of the Protection Cluster in Yemen.  

[2] https://www.savethechildren.net/news/yemen-one-child-killed-or-injured-every-day-average-2025-child-casualties-surged 

For more information

Aisha Majid, Data Media Manager

Aisha.majid@savethechildren.org

Out of hours (BST) contact

media@savethechildren.org.uk

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