12 year old Yemeni girl Elham Mahdi was married on March 29 and died only after three days of her marriage. According to UNICEF regional director for the Middle East and North Africa Sigrid Daag, the girl was married to a man at least twice her age. The girl's death is the latest in a series of child marriage cases in Yemen, where the minimum age to tie the knot is still under debate.

"The government has been working tirelessly to cement the minimum marriage age but conservative parliamentarians have stood against it," said the official, who is not authorized to speak to the media. "Members of the conservative block need to step up to the responsibility of protecting the rights and freedoms of the young. NGOs must continue campaigning to shed the light on this unfortunate practice." For the girl's parents, marriage means the daughters are no longer a financial or moral burden. Most times, parents get a promise from the husband to wait until the girl is older to consummate the marriage.

Last year In September, a 12-year-old Yemeni girl forced into marriage died during childbirth. according to a study by Sanaa University Child brides are common in Yemen, where the United Nations estimates that one in three girls are married before age 18. Most are married off to older men with more than one wife.

source