Sana’a: At 13, Fatimah* was married to an older man. Two years later, she gave birth to twin daughters. Her story reflects the harsh reality faced by girls in Yemen, where conflict, poverty and food insecurity continue to place children at risk.
For girls forced into marriage at an early age, childhood can quickly give way to responsibilities they are not prepared to shoulder. Pregnancy and motherhood during adolescence can bring serious health and nutritional challenges, particularly when families struggle to secure enough food.
Poverty leaves girls vulnerable
Yemen has endured years of conflict and economic hardship, leaving millions of people dependent on humanitarian assistance. Families facing severe financial pressure can become particularly vulnerable to practices such as child marriage.
For a young girl, marriage can mean leaving school and losing opportunities to build an independent future. Early pregnancy can further increase the risks to both mother and child, especially when healthcare and adequate nutrition are difficult to access.
Fatimah’s experience of raising twin daughters while still in her teens illustrates how quickly childhood can disappear for girls caught in poverty and crisis.
A crisis affecting an entire generation
Child marriage is not simply a family or cultural issue. It is closely connected to poverty, education, healthcare and the wider conditions in which children grow up.
When girls leave school and enter marriage early, they can face greater economic dependence and fewer opportunities later in life. Their children may also grow up in households already struggling with poverty and food insecurity.
Humanitarian organisations have stressed the importance of ensuring that girls have access to education, healthcare, food and protection from forced or early marriage.
Protecting girls from a stolen childhood
Stories like Fatimah’s highlight the importance of supporting families before poverty leaves them with impossible choices.
Ensuring that girls can remain in school, access healthcare and grow up free from forced marriage is essential to breaking the cycle of vulnerability.
For Yemen’s children, protecting childhood means giving girls the chance to become adults before they are expected to carry the responsibilities of adulthood.