- Published
Every morning at 6am, 10-year-old Rafeef and her younger brother get ready for school, putting on their cream and brown uniforms.
asserted
Rafeef → publish → uniforms
She always looks forward to seeing her friends and learning about everything from maths to Arabic and Islamic studies.
asserted
She → look → studies
She can't wait to start studying English next year.
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She → wait → English
But for Rafeef, the journey to school involves far greater risks than crossing roads or missing the bus.
asserted
journey → involve → bus
Her school in Taiz, south-western Yemen, stands on a mountain at the edge of a valley known as no-man's land - a heavily contested front line in the civil war between forces supporting Yemen's internationally recognised government, which is backed by Saudi Arabia, and the Iran-backed Houthis.
asserted
which → stand → Arabia
On one side of the school is government-held territory, on the other are Houthi sniper positions.
asserted
positions → hold → other
Every time she goes to school, she has to walk uphill with her back towards the snipers.
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she → go → snipers
"I'm afraid," she says.
asserted
she → say → ?
According to Unicef, roughly 3.2 million children in Yemen were out of school even before the war escalated last month.
uncertain
war → accord → school
It says thousands of children have been killed or maimed since the war began in 2014, while thousands more have been recruited by armed groups on both sides.
asserted
thousands → say → sides
Yet despite the risks, Rafeef says she does not want to stop going because she loves seeing her friends and it is her only chance to be with them.
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it → say → them
She begins naming the children in her classroom.
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She → begin → classroom
Going to school is the only time Rafeef's parents let her go outside.
asserted
her → go → school
They say they are keen for her to get an education and have the chance of a better life.
asserted
her → say → life
Rafeef hopes to become a doctor.
asserted
Rafeef → hop → ?
'A mortar came out of nowhere'
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mortar → come → ?
Rafeef's family moved to Taiz from the coastal city of Hudaydah nine years ago, seeking safety when Houthis took control there.
But Taiz has also endured fighting.
asserted
Taiz → move → fighting
Rafeef says that two years ago there was a mortar attack outside her new home.
asserted
Rafeef → say → home
Then a mortar came out of nowhere… shrapnel blew through the door and into the house."
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shrapnel → come → house
Her arm was broken and there is still a scar where she was hit.
asserted
she → break → ?
And in recent days the conflict has intensified.
asserted
conflict → intensify → days
On Sunday the Houthis cut off a vital supply route linking Taiz to Aden, which meant they were able to effectively encircle Taiz.
asserted
they → cut → Taiz
Control of that route has kept shifting.
asserted
Control → keep → route
Residents have told the BBC they are afraid the Houthis could seize the city at any moment.
uncertain
Houthis → tell → moment
Government forces have made gains in other areas this week, they say, retaking control of strategic points on the Bab al-Mandab Strait - a key shipping chokepoint - and launching an offensive to try to regain control of the capital, Sanaa.
asserted
they → make → capital
Homes in Taiz are mostly scattered across the slopes, but many have been abandoned by families fleeing the fighting.
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many → scatter → fighting
Twice, we try to visit the neighbourhood where Rafeef and her family live, but a community leader advises us it is too dangerous.
asserted
it → try → us
On the first occasion, residents of the neighbourhood tell us that three people have been shot by snipers.
asserted
people → tell → snipers
On the second, we are told of another shooting.
asserted
we → tell → shooting
At Rafeef's school, one of the teachers, Abdel Raqeeb al-Obaidi, 45, takes us on to the rooftop to show us what he says are Houthi military camps, barracks and sniper positions in the mountains.
asserted
he → take → mountains
Standing on the rooftop, a Yemeni security adviser accompanying us suddenly tells us to go back inside.
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adviser → stand → us
We are visible from these positions and could be shot, he says.
uncertain
he → shoot → positions
Abdel Raqeeb laughs, acknowledging the danger.
asserted
Raqeeb → laugh → danger
He says the school has been fired on before.
asserted
school → say → ?
"The situation may explode at any moment while we are sitting in class or sleeping or we are in school or we are out on the street.
uncertain
we → explode → street
We do not know how our future is and how tomorrow is."
For Abdel Raqeeb, the risk has become routine.
asserted
risk → know → Raqeeb
After ousting the government from the capital Sanaa in 2015, the Houthis attempted to also seize control of Taiz but were driven out of most of the city by local militiamen.
asserted
Houthis → oust → militiamen
Seizing Taiz would give the Houthis full control over the country's north.
asserted
Seizing → seize → north
Now, in their latest offensive, Houthis are making extensive use of drones alongside other weapons.
asserted
Houthis → make → weapons
Later that evening, we get a call from a hospital about a five minute drive away from the school.
asserted
we → get → school
…and 24 more, not listed.
The Aporia
