Yemen: Children brave snipers and mortars to go to school near front line

At 6 a.m. in Taiz, south-western Yemen, 10-year-old Rafeef walks to school beside Houthi sniper positions and government-held territory, her route uphill with her back turned toward the guns. UNICEF says about 3.2 million children in Yemen were already out of school before last month’s escalation, and thousands have been killed, maimed or recruited since the war began in 2014. Rafeef, who hopes to become a doctor, says her only reason to continue is seeing friends in class—her parents allow her outside only for school. Recent days have seen renewed fighting, including Houthi control threats around Taiz’s supply line to Aden.