Weapons of war and their strategies dominate Yemeni children’s games

The ongoing war in Yemen's governorates since March 2015 has cast its shadow over children who try to simulate its events in their play. Some of them attempt to embody military raids, or attack and control enemy positions, and even carry out operations to capture soldiers from the other side in the conflict. Many Yemeni children now know several types of weapons, from the "Kalashnikov" to the "RPG" and the "Bazooka", all the way to anti-aircraft guns and hand grenades.

The Yemeni child, Abdul Rahman (14 years old), lived through the details of the war that took place in his area in Jabal Saber in the countryside of Taiz Governorate, where he got used to seeing armed men armed with various types of weapons in his village, and hearing the sounds of shells and explosions. With his repeated exposure to it, war became the daily game that he plays with his peers, as they play using models of weapons that they made from wood and some toys that resemble missiles.

Abdul Rahman became passionate about weapons and dreamed of owning a real weapon. One day, an unexploded 37-caliber anti-aircraft shell reached his hands. He tried to play with it, and began cutting the shell using an iron saw in order to extract its gunpowder, but that caused it to explode, killing him instantly.

Many children use sticks and metal cans to make shapes similar to weapons and military supplies. Some children have even invented a hand grenade by using small amounts of bathroom cleaning materials that contain an acidic substance, placing it inside a plastic soda can, adding small pieces of tin as shrapnel, shaking it for a few seconds, then throwing the can into the air, so that the acid reacts with the tin, causing an explosion that could cause serious injuries if it explodes near someone.

The psychologist believes that “the duty of society, government agencies and specialized organizations is focused on raising awareness and educating through campaigns and activities targeting families, teachers and children, while providing psychological rehabilitation for children affected by wars. Specialized workshops and activities can be organized that aim to educate children, spread awareness of how to protect them, and provide psychological and social support to them and their families, and establish guidance centers that provide free advice to children and families, especially those affected by conflicts, while working to issue legislation and laws that protect children.”

According to the World Health Organization, during the past nine years of war, Yemen has witnessed a significant increase in mental health needs, which have formed influential accumulations as a result of conflict and deprivation, especially among children. The UN organization indicates that "10.76 million children in Yemen suffer from a lack of access to mental health, as well as a lack of access to quality education, which is a source of concern regarding the cognitive and emotional development of these children."

The organization estimates that the number of psychiatric workers in Yemen does not exceed 59 doctors. The average number of health workers specializing in mental health (doctors, nurses, and therapists) is estimated at about 300 individuals, at a rate of one specialist for every 100,000 people. According to the World Health Organization’s needs report for this year, about seven million people in Yemen suffer from mental illnesses and are in need of care, but only 120,000 Yemenis have access to mental health services.

New Arab