Barran Press
The Yemeni Alliance to Monitor Human Rights Violations (RASD) has accused the Iranian-backed Houthi group, designated as a terrorist organization by several countries, of recruiting over 10,000 children between 2014 and 2021.
In a report, the rights group stated that the United Nations has investigated at least 1851 individual cases of child recruitment or use by the Houthis since 2010. The report highlights the group's recruitment of approximately 30 young men, including 10 children, from the village of Al-Adba'a in the Mubin district of Hajjah governorate alone.
The report notes that the summer holidays were not ordinary this year, as months prior, children were targeted by Houthi propaganda aimed at attracting them to training camps. The Houthis exploited the Gaza war to recruit children for fighting their opponents in Yemen.
The report states, "The Houthis found in the Israeli war on Gaza, which claimed the lives of tens of thousands of Palestinian victims, a way to recruit children, stir their emotions, and convince their families of the need to volunteer in support of Palestine."
The report points out that Houthi recruiters and supervisors descended upon rural areas in the Mubin district of Hajjah governorate, holding educational lectures to encourage children to join the recruitment process. The Houthis offered financial incentives, including monthly salaries and food baskets, to families struggling with the deteriorating economic situation, as most residents of the village are impoverished farmers.
Yemeni legislation prohibits the recruitment of children or the exploitation of their circumstances, including their involvement in armed conflicts or military activities, even in normal situations. The law imposes penalties on those who violate these provisions.
Last year, a UN expert panel revealed that most of the child recruitment violations investigated were linked to the Houthis, who continue to recruit and utilize children, particularly in summer camps.