Story summary
In south-western Yemen, a 10-year-old girl named Rafeef braves daily risks to attend school near a front line contested by forces supporting Yemen's internationally recognized government (backed by Saudi Arabia) and the Iran-backed Houthis. Her journey involves walking uphill through an area known as "no-man's land," where snipers from both sides are positioned, with Houthi positions on one side of her route. Despite the danger, Rafeef looks forward to seeing friends and learning subjects like mathematics, Arabic, Islamic studies, and soon English.
The United Nations Children's Fund (Unicef) reports that 3.2 million children in Yemen were already out of school before the recent war escalation. Since 2014, thousands more have been killed or injured in the conflict, highlighting the severe impact on educational access for children amid the ongoing civil war.
Written for “Children Risk Safety For Education Ye…” on 2026-10-06,
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Every morning at 6am, 10-year-old Rafeef and her younger brother get ready for school, putting on their cream and brown uniforms.
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Rafeef → publish → uniforms
She always looks forward to seeing her friends and learning about everything from maths to Arabic and Islamic studies.
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She → look → studies
She can't wait to start studying English next year.
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She → wait → English
But for Rafeef, the journey to school involves far greater risks than crossing roads or missing the bus.
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journey → involve → bus
Her school in Taiz, south-western Yemen, stands on a mountain at the edge of a valley known as no-man's land - a heavily contested front line in the civil war between forces supporting Yemen's internationally recognised government, which is backed by Saudi Arabia, and the Iran-backed Houthis.
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which → stand → Arabia
On one side of the school is government-held territory, on the other are Houthi sniper positions.
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positions → hold → other
Every time she goes to school, she has to walk uphill with her back towards the snipers.
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she → go → snipers
"I'm afraid," she says.
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she → say → ?
According to Unicef, roughly 3.2 million children in Yemen were out of school even before the war escalated last month.
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war → accord → school
It says thousands of children have been killed or maimed since the war began in 2014, while thousands more have been recruited by armed groups on both sides.
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thousands → say → sides
Yet despite the risks, Rafeef says she does not want to stop going because she loves seeing her friends and it is her only chance to be with them.
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it → say → them
She begins naming the children in her classroom.
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She → begin → classroom
Going to school is the only time Rafeef's parents let her go outside.
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her → go → school
They say they are keen for her to get an education and have the chance of a better life.
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her → say → life
Rafeef hopes to become a doctor.
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Rafeef → hop → ?
'A mortar came out of nowhere'
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mortar → come → ?
Rafeef's family moved to Taiz from the coastal city of Hudaydah nine years ago, seeking safety when Houthis took control there.
But Taiz has also endured fighting.
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Taiz → move → fighting
Rafeef says that two years ago there was a mortar attack outside her new home.
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Rafeef → say → home
Then a mortar came out of nowhere… shrapnel blew through the door and into the house."
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shrapnel → come → house
Her arm was broken and there is still a scar where she was hit.
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she → break → ?
And in recent days the conflict has intensified.
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conflict → intensify → days
On Sunday the Houthis cut off a vital supply route linking Taiz to Aden, which meant they were able to effectively encircle Taiz.
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they → cut → Taiz
Control of that route has kept shifting.
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Control → keep → route
Residents have told the BBC they are afraid the Houthis could seize the city at any moment.
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Houthis → tell → moment
Government forces have made gains in other areas this week, they say, retaking control of strategic points on the Bab al-Mandab Strait - a key shipping chokepoint - and launching an offensive to try to regain control of the capital, Sanaa.
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they → make → capital
Homes in Taiz are mostly scattered across the slopes, but many have been abandoned by families fleeing the fighting.
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many → scatter → fighting
Twice, we try to visit the neighbourhood where Rafeef and her family live, but a community leader advises us it is too dangerous.
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it → try → us
On the first occasion, residents of the neighbourhood tell us that three people have been shot by snipers.
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people → tell → snipers
On the second, we are told of another shooting.
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we → tell → shooting
At Rafeef's school, one of the teachers, Abdel Raqeeb al-Obaidi, 45, takes us on to the rooftop to show us what he says are Houthi military camps, barracks and sniper positions in the mountains.
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he → take → mountains
Standing on the rooftop, a Yemeni security adviser accompanying us suddenly tells us to go back inside.
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adviser → stand → us
We are visible from these positions and could be shot, he says.
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he → shoot → positions
Abdel Raqeeb laughs, acknowledging the danger.
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Raqeeb → laugh → danger
He says the school has been fired on before.
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school → say → ?
"The situation may explode at any moment while we are sitting in class or sleeping or we are in school or we are out on the street.
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we → explode → street
We do not know how our future is and how tomorrow is."
For Abdel Raqeeb, the risk has become routine.
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risk → know → Raqeeb
After ousting the government from the capital Sanaa in 2015, the Houthis attempted to also seize control of Taiz but were driven out of most of the city by local militiamen.
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Houthis → oust → militiamen
Seizing Taiz would give the Houthis full control over the country's north.
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Seizing → seize → north
Now, in their latest offensive, Houthis are making extensive use of drones alongside other weapons.
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Houthis → make → weapons
Later that evening, we get a call from a hospital about a five minute drive away from the school.
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we → get → school
…and 24 more, not listed.
The Aporia
