[28/01/2026 05:17]

MARIB – SABA
Deputy Minister of Education Dr. Ali Al-Ubab has affirmed that Yemen is facing one of the most dangerous learning loss crises in its modern history as a result of the ongoing war waged by the Iran-backed Houthi terrorist militias and the devastating repercussions it has left on the education process.

In a statement to (Saba), Dr. al-Ubab noted that an entire generation began basic education at the outset of the war and has now reached the end of secondary school while suffering from deep knowledge and skills gaps.

He made it clear that estimates by the Ministry of Education, based on data analysis and in cooperation with international organizations, confirm that more than six million children have been directly or indirectly affected by interruptions or disruption to education.

Of these, more than two million children are completely out of school, in addition to about 3.7 million children at risk of dropping out.

The Deputy Minister explained that learning loss is not measured solely by the number of lost school years but by the sharp decline in reading, writing, numeracy, and analytical thinking skills, which threatens this generation’s ability to pursue higher education or productively integrate into the labor market in the future.

He added that the rise in school dropout rates, child labor and involvement in armed conflict are direct consequences of war, poverty, and the collapse of household incomes, noting that the irregular payment of teachers’ salaries alone places the education of nearly four million additional children at risk.

Dr. al-Ubab emphasized that saving education is still possible if genuine political will and sustainable support are available, in line with priorities set by the ministry.

These priorities focus on restoring the status of teachers through regular salary payments, professional development, and psychological support, alongside rehabilitating damaged schools, shielding education from conflict, implementing large-scale programs to compensate for learning loss, and strengthening national and international partnerships to ensure sustainable funding.

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