Yemen's Houthi Militia Recruits 10 Thousand Children In 7 Years

Illustration of children victims of war. (Freepic-Vector_Corp)

JAKARTA - The Houthi militia has recruited 10,000 children since the start of the conflict in Yemen in 2014.

Quoting Arab News, Monday, August 19, the Euro-Medierranean Human Rights Monitor and the SAM Organization for Rights and Freedoms said the recruitment took place between 2014 and 2021.

In addition to reports from human rights groups in Yemen, Human Rights Watch said the majority of children recruited by Yemeni militias were 13-25 years old, while hundreds were under 18.

Meanwhile, Houthi's official news agency, SabaNet said, militia recruitment recently showed people who appeared to be children.

The United Nations has investigated at least 1,851 cases of recruitment or use of children by the Houthis since 2010.

Since 2011, the Houthis have been on the UN Secretary-General's annual list of groups responsible for gross abuses against children in armed conflict.

The Houthis are on the list for recruiting and using children's soldiers.

Since 2016, the group has also been on the list for child killings and mutilation as well as attacks on schools and hospitals.