Seven children were injured by an artillery shell attack as they left school this afternoon in Taiz city, Yemen, Save the Children can confirm.

This attack comes just three days after three children lost their lives and ten others were injured when artillery shells hit their homes in the same area, taking the total number of recent child casualties to 20.

Xavier Joubert, Save the Children's Country Director in Yemen, said:

"This is devastating news. We are witnessing another unacceptable increase in civilian casualties in the city of Taiz. After days of escalations of fighting in the area, children continue to pay the highest price in this war.

“This time, seventeen children were injured and three children have died as a result of artillery shelling in civilian areas, near their homes and at school.

“There is no place for children in conflict. Save the Children condemns these attacks in the strongest possible terms and calls on all warring parties to respect international humanitarian law and to protect civilians and civilian infrastructure from attack.”

Save the Children is supporting families of some of the children injured today with medical expenses.

For more information please contact:

• Out of hours: Media@savethechildren.org.uk / +44 7831 650 409
• Ahmed Bayram, Ahmed.Bayram@savethechildren.org
• Faiz Jamil, Faiz.Jamil@savethechildren.org