EXCLUSIVE - Gaunt eyes, bloated bellies and ribs sticking out of their tiny bodies: Child victims of world's 'forgotten' war in Yemen… where bombs are dropped on schools 'DELIBERATELY' 

• Children fight for their lives on wards of a hospital in Yemeni capital Sana'a
• Some are on life support, others lie passively with big, gaunt eyes staring
• Pictures released by Save the Children are a rare glimpse into the suffering
• Nearly 1.3million are malnourished in one of the world's poorest countries 

By David Williams For Mailonline

Published: 19:52 GMT, 23 July 2016 |

Their ribs pressing grotesquely at the skin on their tiny bodies, children fight for their lives on the crowded wards of the Al Sabeen hospital in Yemen's capital Sana'a. 

Some are on life support and suck desperately for air, their chests pumping painfully and rapidly, others lie passively their big, gaunt eyes and large stomachs a sickening sign of the extreme malnourishment their bodies are fighting. 

One baby died recently when the power generators cut out for an hour due to lack of fuel, preventing equipment such as incubators and ventilators from operating. 

Scroll down for video 

Weak: This tiny baby is fighting for its life on a ward at the Al Sabeen hospital, in Yeme's capital Sana'a. Medics at the hospital faces an impossible challenge in healing the innocent victims of war and famine

 

Fear: Farah, nine, pleaded 'Who hates us? I'm scared of planes, of what they drop on us. That they bomb us. This is what scares me'

The pictures released by the British charity Save the Children are a rarely seen glimpse of the suffering of children in Yemen, one of the world's poorest countries, where it is estimated nearly 1.3 million children - one in three of them under the age of five - are malnourished. 

The city's hospital wards are also filled by civilians and children wounded by bombs, bullets and missiles, several crippled while aid workers speak of a 'catastrophic food crisis' across the country. 

They are the innocent victims of the political crisis and devastating conflict that has seen a Saudi Arabian-led coalition carrying out a military campaign aimed at preventing Iran-allied Houthi rebels and forces loyal to Yemen's ex-President Ali Abdullah Saleh from taking control of the country.

There is disturbing evidence that schools have been deliberately targeted by warplanes while the conflict has crippled much of the already impoverished country, destroying infrastructure and thousands of homes leading to warnings of a pending humanitarian disaster. 

So far, at least 856 children have been killed and over 1,249 injured. 

Tragic: Some 1.3million children - one in three of them under the age of five - are malnourished in Yemen, one of the world's poorest countries

Starving: Some of the babies are on life support, others are so severely malnourished they only have the energy to stare feebly with gaunt eyes

Violence: A political crisis and devastating conflict has torn Yemen apart, and there is disturbing evidence that schools have been deliberately targeted by warplanes

More than 2.7 million people are internally displaced and 3.4 million children are out of school. 

Humanitarian agencies warn Yemen is 'teetering on the edge of famine', with the latest statistics revealing more than 14 million people are in desperate need of food. 

Nine areas are now in a state of emergency, just one step away from being declared a 'famine', including the besieged city of Taiz in the highlands and the major port city of Al Hodeidah.

Many homes have been reduced to rubble or sit in no-go areas between warring factions while desperate families talk of living in fear of bombs, little food or clean water and failing health services. 

Mothers have walked for hours to take malnourished children to medical centres – a journey too dangerous for some to make – while schoolboys and girls tell horrific stories of their homes being bombed. 

Farah, one nine year-old girl pleaded : 'Who hates us. I'm scared of planes, of what they drop on us. That they bomb us. This is what scares me.' 

Save the Children warns that nearly eight million children are going hungry every day in a country where 40 per cent of the population are aged under 15. 

More than 80 per cent of people rely on aid agencies and the United Nations for essentials such as food and healthcare.

'Children's lives in Yemen have been torn apart,' the charity says, 'Girls and boys are now facing daily challenges to both survive the conflict and access enough food, safe drinking water, and basic healthcare. 

'And while the fighting continues and the delivery of vital humanitarian aid and commercial supplies to those most in need is obstructed, the lives of thousands more children are at risk. 

Struggle: Pictures released by the British charity Save the Children offer a rarely seen glimpse of the suffering of children in Yemen, and the medics struggling to save their lives

Vulnerable: Humanitarian agencies warn Yemen is 'teetering on the edge of famine', with the latest statistics revealing more than 14 million people are in desperate need of food

Desperate: More than 2.7 million people are internally displaced and 3.4 million children are out of school

'The future for those that survive is also uncertain. The number of children who are not attending school has more than doubled during the past twelve months and now equates to nearly half of the school-age population. 

'Many children have also been psychologically scarred and will need significant support to recover from their experiences and be able to live happy and productive lives in the future.' 

Edward Santiago, Save the Children's Country Director in Yemen, said: 'We're particularly alarmed at spiralling malnutrition amongst babies and children. 

'Every day, more and more families face an increased risk of being pushed into acute malnutrition as supplies dwindle, prices skyrocket and poverty rises.

'Even when Yemeni families can get their critically ill babies to a functioning hospital, the electricity supply is patchy and fuel to run back-up generators is scarce, meaning lifesaving equipment does not always function properly.' 

He continued : 'The catastrophic food crisis in Yemen is clearly getting worse, and as we have seen so many times, it's babies and children who suffer the consequences most.'

Terrified children have spoken of fleeing the bombs and of attacks on their schools – both the UN and Amnesty International have accused the Saudi-led coalition of deliberately targeting schools, an allegation denied. 

There have been allegations too that British weapons and munitions sold to Saudi Arabia and Gulf states have been used during some of the operations.  

These are said to have included banned British-made cluster bombs that can be delivered by a Tornado jet, scores of which have been sold by Britain to Saudi Arabia in recent decades. 

Help: Charities from around the world are fighting to help save the people of Yemen, where nine areas have now been declared to be in a state of emergency, just one step away from being declared a 'famine'

Relief: Edward Santiago, Save the Children's Country Director in Yemen, said: 'The psychological impact of the conflict has been devastating for children with many showing symptoms associated with distress and trauma'

In damning criticism, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said the coalition was responsible for 60 per cent of child deaths and injuries last year and placed it on an annual blacklist of states and armed groups that violate children's rights during conflict. 

Amnesty said the coalition have carried out a series of air strikes targeting schools that were still in use, in violation of international humanitarian law. 

'The Saudi Arabia-led coalition launched a series of unlawful air strikes on schools being used for educational – not for military – purposes, a flagrant violation of the laws of war,' said Lama Fakih, Senior Crisis Advisor at Amnesty.

'Schools are central to civilian life, they are meant to offer a safe space for children. Yemen's young school pupils are being forced to pay the price for these attacks. 

'On top of enduring a bitter conflict, they face longer term upheaval and disruption to their education – a potentially lifelong burden that they will be forced to shoulder.'

In some cases the schools were struck more than once, suggesting the strikes were deliberately targeted.

'Deliberately attacking schools that are not military objectives and directly attacking civilians not participating in hostilities are war crimes,' said Lama Fakih. 

With more than 1,600 schools destroyed or shut, it is unsurprising that a third of school age children in Yemen do not have access to education.

Santiago said: 'The psychological impact of the conflict has been devastating for children with many showing symptoms associated with distress and trauma including anxiety, low-self-esteem and lack of concentration.

'We support 300 children in our Child Friendly Spaces in Sana'a – giving them the opportunity to play, learn, create and spend time with their friends in a safe place where they can forget what they've been through. 

'But ultimately their recovery requires an environment in which they are not in daily fear for their lives.' 

The British government has been under pressure to investigate whether weapons originating in the UK have been used in violation of international laws. 

British military advisers – and it is reported Special Forces – are said to have been in Yemen advising Saudi and other forces from the United Arab Emirates. 

Significantly, the Foreign Office on Thursday took the highly unusual move of issuing a series of corrections to answers given to questions about allegations of breaches of international humanitarian law in Yemen by the Saudi-led Coalition. 

In a series of U-turns on the final day of Parliament, the government was forced to retract numerous written and oral statements to parliament which said ministers had assessed that Saudi Arabia was not in breach of international humanitarian law in Yemen. 

Future? With more than 1,600 schools destroyed or shut, it is unsurprising that a third of school age children in Yemen do not have access to education

The admission led to calls by the Liberal Democrats for an investigation into Saudi behaviour in Yemen and a suspension of UK arms sales. 

The Liberal Democrats have claimed that the Saudi military campaign has targeted civilians.

The Foreign Office said the incorrect statements, made by three different ministers over the last six months, were errors and did not represent an attempt to mislead MPs over its assessment of the Saudi campaign.

It said that other written answers had made clear that the UK government had made no assessment of whether the Saudis were in breach of humanitarian law.