A 12-year-old Yemeni bride died of internal bleeding following intercourse three days after she was married off to an older man

The girl was married to a man at least twice her age, said Sigrid Kaag, United Nations Children's Fund regional director for the Middle East and North Africa. 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. In September, a 12-year-old Yemeni girl forced into marriage died during childbirth. Her baby also died, according to the Seyaj Organization for the Protection of Children. Fawziya Ammodi was in labor for three days before she died of severe bleeding, said Ahmed al-Qureshi, president of the organization. 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, according to a study by Sanaa University. For the girl's parents, marriage means the daughters are no longer a financial burden. The issue of Yemeni child brides made headlines in 2008 when 10-year-old Nujood Ali was pulled out of school and married. Her husband beat and raped her within weeks of the ceremony. To escape, Nujood hailed a taxi - the first time in her life - to get to the central courthouse where she sat on a bench and demanded to see a judge. After a well-publicized trial, she was granted a divorce.