احتلال المدارس
Monday (29 Sep 2014) - Sana'a
Militants of Ansar Al-Allah (Houthi Group) prevented hundreds of students, both male and female, from attending school today, September 29th, 2014, Mwatana says, adding that five schools are still under full control of Houthi militiamen in an area in the north of Sana’a city. This comes at a time the Education Ministry has called students to go back to schools starting today.
Mwatana asserts that the Houthi militiamen are still occupying the five schools, using them to store heavy weapons including tanks, armored vehicles and anti-aircraft guns. They are also used as detention centers.
Mwatana paid a visit today, September 29th, to the reported area and found that the following schools are still occupied: Shamlan Primary School and Al-Sadaqah Female School both located in the 30 Meter Street in Shamlan Area; Al-Salam Female School close to the Taxes Roundabout in Mathbah Area; Al-Hasan bin Ali School for males located in Mathbah Market; and Al-Amal School for the Deaf and Dumb located in Mathbah Mountain in Al-Daqeeq neighborhood.
Bushra Amer, Al-Sadaqah Female School Headmistress, told Mwatana that students, teachers, and school management staff were not allowed to enter the school today by the armed militants.
The students of five schools were not able to go back to their schools due to the armed militants who are occupying these schools and due to the accumulation of weapons in these schools, Maeen Area Education Director told Mwatana.
Fawziya Mohammed Alasham, Shamlan Primary School Headmistress, informed Mwatana that the students, teachers and the school management staff went to school this morning holding flowers in their hands and requested the Houthi militants to evacuate the school so that they can resume study as per the Education Ministry announcement. She maintained that militiamen refused to evacuate the building. "I will not jeopardize my students’ life by allowing them to attend school in the presence of those militiamen and weapons," Fawziya emphasized.
While requesting the Houthi Group to evacuate schools so that students can resume their study, Mwatana considers the continuation of the occupation of the five schools a grave offence against children and a flagrant violation of human rights.
While some Houthi leaders have made promises to evacuate schools, these promises have not yet been fulfilled, although these leaders were particularly informed of the resumption of school study date.
Worth noting is that between September 18-20, some schools located in the north of Sana’a city were occupied by governmental forces and armed men in civilian clothing, before they withdrew and then Houthi Group militants occupied them.
The Education Ministry has called students in the capital secretariat to go back to school starting Monday, September 29th, after seven days of suspension due to the clashes.
Worth noting is that armed clashes broke out, during September 18-21, between government forces and Houthi Group militants, leading to the full control of Sana’a by Houthi Group and eventually signing the Peace and Partnership Agreement by the Houthi Group, President Hadi, other political parties under the auspices of the United Nations.
Photo, courtesy of UNICEF, taken today, Monday, September 29th, 2014, in front of Shamlan Primary School.
