June 20 marks World Refugee Day, shedding light on Yemen's children who have endured nearly a decade-long conflict that has uprooted millions, depriving them of homes and educational opportunities.
In the southwestern province of Taiz, 11-year-old Muhammad Abdo fled to the south with his family four years ago from escalating conflict in the west, where they have faced hunger and hardship, prioritizing survival over schooling.
"My father suffers from mental illness. I had to work to support my younger brothers. My older brother passed away, leaving behind his children. In this situation, I don't have time to go to school," Abdo told China Central Television (CCTV).
For four years, Abdo had to forsake schooling to work on nearby farms. But hope for education flickered back to life in Abdo's displacement camp, with a makeshift school funded by donations.
"I miss school and the feeling of reading. I had forgotten what that felt like. Now teachers are teaching us again, and I have rediscovered the joy of reading and writing," said Abdo.
According to UNICEF, Yemen has 12 million school-age children, with 4.5 million being out of school, posing a monumental challenge for the country's educational system. Rebuilding schools, rehiring teachers, and ensuring they receive salaries remain critical amid ongoing conflict.
"We are very happy to see them back in school. However, we need more aid. We need to be provided with campuses, books, uniforms, and food to ensure they can continue their educational journey," said Tawfiq Hassan, who is teaching at the makeshift school.
Due to displacement, Abdo missed four years of schooling and is now in fourth grade, significantly older than his classmates.
"My dream is to become a teacher and teach students in school," said Abdo.
Education remains pivotal in reshaping Yemen's future, crucial for the well-being of displaced children and refugees. Addressing political disputes and achieving a ceasefire are essential for improving conditions and upholding their educational rights, fostering stability for Yemen's recovery.
Yemen's children struggle for education amid decade-long conflict
Yemen's children struggle for education amid decade-long conflict
A total of 190 talented young people from different countries, with an average age of 22, demonstrated their professional skills and innovative abilities in the category focused on new quality productive forces during the second Belt and Road International Skills Competition held in southwest China's Chongqing Municipality.
The competition took place from Monday to Wednesday and attracted nearly 600 skilled professionals from 61 countries and regions. The event was aimed to provide a platform for talented youth to communicate, exchange skills, and promote international exchange and cooperation in the field of vocational skills and to further advance the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).
This year's competition included contests in areas of automotive technology and operating industrial robot systems, with over half focused on new quality productive forces. Among the 190 participants, the average age was 22, with over 95 percent aged 30 or younger, and more than 40 percent aged 20 or younger.
Tumelo, a 15-year-old from Lesotho, was the youngest competitor, participating in the industrial robot system operation event. Despite his age, he showed exceptional skills. "I feel like I'm already gaining experience. This is going to increase my chances of being accepted into better universities and actually doing well in the university," said the young participant.
Operating industrial robot systems demands proficiency in mechanics, electrical engineering, automation, programming, and artificial intelligence, making it a multifaceted skill for competitors.
"Based on this morning's results in the first phase of the competition, the contestants were generally able to complete about 80 percent of the tasks. Such a performance represents the highest level of achievements by the participants of various countries and regions," said Yang Rongjin, head judge of the industrial robot system operation event.
This year's competition included six showcase events including intelligent automobile software technology, providing participants a glimpse into the future direction of the new energy vehicle industry.
"In the past, I might not have seen or known much about this field, but through the competition, we can learn and discover more," said a Chinese competitor Ouyang Lin.
"There is a shortage of professionals in the new quality productive forces, which is a common challenge among the BRI countries. Our goal is to develop human resources and cultivate skilled talents while advancing the development of new quality productive forces," said Wang Xiaojun, deputy director of the Vocational Capacity Building Department at the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security.
Global young talents compete in new quality productive forces category at BRI skills contest
