Geneva: At least 26 children
have been killed during violent protests in Yemen over the
last two months, the UN children's fund said on Tuesday.
Most died of wounds from live ammunition during
clashes between security forces and anti-government
demonstrators, said UNICEF spokeswoman Marixie Mercado.
At least 36 more children have been wounded by live
ammunition and 47 were injured with sticks or rocks, she said.
"We have absolutely no indication that the children
were targeted, and we don't know who shot them," said Mercado.
"They were participating in, or bystanders to,
demonstrations."
Yemen, where opposition groups are demanding the
ouster of longtime President Ali Abdullah Saleh, is considered
the least developed country in the region.
"The unrest in the past months is exacting a terrible
toll on children," Mercado said, adding that UNICEF is
appealing to all sides to keep children out of harm's way.
She also cited the March 28 explosion at an
ammunitions factory in the Abyan region as evidence of the
precarious condition of children in Yemen. At least 14 minors
died in the blast, which occurred while the factory was being
looted.
PTI
First Published: Tuesday, April 19, 2011, 23:14