Yemen's Hidden Crisis: When Survival Means Leaving School Behind

When Education Becomes a Luxury

In the rural outskirts of Taiz, 11-year-old Hasnaa Jaber collects plastic bottles instead of attending school. Her story is not unique in Yemen, where nearly 3.2 million children are out of school this year — a staggering increase from just over 1.8 million in 2015. What started as a war has evolved into a prolonged humanitarian crisis, with education being one of the first casualties.

Hasnaa lives in an informal settlement, displaced by conflict that has raged for more than a decade. Her family's situation is dire: her father works washing cars, and even that income barely covers basic needs. The cost of school — books, uniforms, transportation — has become a burden too heavy to bear.

"I was left with two choices: either send my children to school and watch them starve, or ask them to help me earn a living," says Jaber Ali, Hasnaa's father. "Food is the top priority right now, not education."

The Cost of Survival

While Hasnaa earns about 1,500 Yemeni rials per day collecting recyclables — roughly $1 — it's a drop in the bucket for her family's needs. For many families like hers, school is simply not an option.

This isn't just about poverty; it's about choice. And in a place where food security and child labor are survival strategies, education often becomes a luxury that cannot be justified. As the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) has noted, the number of children out of school continues to rise, even as international aid streams struggle to keep pace with demand.

"Dropping out of school deprives children of their right to education and weakens their chances of securing stable employment in the future," says Ammar al-Sharjabi, an education expert who has worked with Yemen's Ministries of Education. "At the societal level, persistent dropout rates lead to increased illiteracy, poverty, and unemployment."

Byproduct of a War Without End

The war in Yemen is not just a military conflict — it's an economic and social catastrophe that has shattered communities. The collapse of basic services, including schools, has made returning to education difficult, even when families want to.

While humanitarian efforts are underway, they often fail to address the root causes. As one Ministry of Education source told Al Jazeera: "This is not an educational issue alone; it's a direct result of dire economic conditions." The war, now in its second year of renewed intensity, has left families with few alternatives.

Save the Children recently surveyed 2,000 households and found that nearly 95% rely on informal labor for income. Of those, 84% cannot afford basic school expenses. The connection between child labor and school dropout is undeniable — and it's a growing trend across Yemen.

Hope Amid the Hardship

For Hasnaa, her dream of becoming a teacher remains alive, even as she helps her family survive. "Next year, I will return to my studies and fulfill my dream," she says, though the path back may not be clear.

In contrast, 13-year-old Ahmed Abdulelah chose to leave school after his father died from cancer. His family exhausted its savings on treatment, and Ahmed now works at a grocery store to support his younger siblings. He's not bitter — he sees his sacrifice as necessary for his family's future.

"I work here so my siblings can finish their education," Ahmed said. "They will make up for what I lost."

Their stories are harrowing, but they also reflect a broader truth: in the face of overwhelming hardship, children often become adults far too soon. In Yemen, this transition is not just emotional — it's economic.

What Lies Ahead

Rebuilding education in Yemen will take more than policy reforms or international funding. It requires addressing root causes: economic stability, infrastructure restoration, and long-term peace. For now, children like Hasnaa and Ahmed are caught between two worlds — one where learning is possible, and another where survival demands sacrifice.

The war may not be directly responsible for every child's absence from school, but it has created conditions that make schooling an impossible luxury for millions. Until those conditions change, the children of Yemen will continue to choose survival over study — a choice no child should have to make.