African migrants occupy school in Yemen’s Shabwa for second year

SHABWA, Aug. 24 (YPA) – African migrants arriving by sea from the Horn of Africa have closed the ‘Al-Raid’ school in Al-Saeed district of Yemen’s oil-rich Shabwa province, using the facility as a residential settlement for the second consecutive year.

The prolonged closure has deprived local children of education amid inaction from local and Saudi-aligned authorities, despite claims that the shutdown stems from low teacher salaries while other schools in the area continue operating.

Educational sources stated that hundreds of migrants arriving via the Gulf of Aden over the past two years maintain full control of the school building, completely disrupting the educational process. The continued closure has forced both teachers and students to seek labor in a newly established market in the Rafad area, which is linked to the influx of thousands of irregular African migrants.

Local residents have accused district officials and leaders of Saudi-backed factions of complicity with migrant-smuggling networks for financial gain, warning of threats to local security and tribal social cohesion.

YPA