Kuala Lumpur Conference: Yemen Faces the Risk of Losing an Entire Generation Due to the Collapse of Education

Arab Sea Newspaper - Follow-ups

Arab Sea - Yemen - Follow-ups: Local and international education experts have confirmed that Yemen faces the risk of losing an entire generation due to the collapse of education. They stressed at the "Partners for Yemen" conference, held in the Malaysian capital, Kuala Lumpur, the need to restore hope to millions of children who have been removed from the educational system by the complex crises. The participants in the conference presented recommendations that stressed the need for the Yemeni government to give education top priority and facilitate the work of civil institutions away from bureaucracy. They also stressed the importance of establishing a fund for education supporters that guarantees the sustainability of funding with transparent controls, addressing the reasons for student and teacher dropout and providing their needs by the ministers of education and partners, in addition to adopting digital solutions and distance education through the establishment of an educational platform accredited by the ministry, which can be used inside and outside the country. The participants urged all charitable bodies and institutions to consider education a priority and to set strategic goals for establishing educational institutions and strengthening the existing ones. The conference, organized by the Yemeni International Development Agency, the Insan Foundation for Development and Islamic Relief, the International Islamic Charitable Organization from Kuwait, the Qudwa Foundation from Indonesia, and the Malaysian MyCar Organization, aimed to enhance humanitarian and development support for Yemen, with a focus on the education sector as a strategic priority. The conference, which lasted for two days with the wide participation of regional and international humanitarian organizations, Yemeni official bodies, ambassadors and diplomatic missions, educational institutions, businessmen and philanthropists from Southeast Asia, also aimed to coordinate joint efforts to face humanitarian challenges and develop a practical roadmap for relief and sustainable development projects. At the opening of the conference, the Deputy Minister of Education of Yemen, Dr. Ali Al-Abab, described the education sector as "the most affected" by the war, pointing to the closure of thousands of schools, the dropout of millions of students, and the absence of educational infrastructure, which calls for regional and international cooperation to move from temporary to sustainable solutions. The Deputy Minister also presented a working paper on the "Urgent Need for the Education Sector in Yemen" based on the emergency appeal for 2025, explaining the most prominent requirements for rehabilitating education in various governorates. He touched on the seriousness of the duality of curricula in one country, which poses a threat to the national security of Yemen, in addition to its weakness and unsuitability for the times, criticizing the curricula applied by the Ansar Allah group (the Houthis), which he said are not compatible with the society's creed and culture, calling on parents to verify the material taught in the group's areas and not to involve their children in what he described as "brainwashing tools." For his part, Abdul Rahman Al-Mutawa, Deputy Director General of Projects at the International Islamic Charitable Organization, affirmed that the organization has placed the Yemeni people at the top of its priorities, pointing to the implementation of 126 educational projects during the past year, benefiting more than 48,000 people, including 20,000 male and female students. He explained that the organization's projects in Yemen over the past five years amounted to about $11 million, and included the construction of university colleges, the establishment and equipping of schools and technical institutes, and support for university education, in addition to scholarship and sponsorship programs. For his part, Ghanem Al-Shaheen, Director of Programs and Projects at the Kuwaiti Al-Rahma International Society, indicated that the Society continues to implement various educational projects in Yemen through the "Al-Tawasul" Foundation, praising Kuwait's role as a "country of humanity" in supporting charitable work at the regional and global levels.