Houthis Recruit 46,000 Child Soldiers in 2020

Local human rights reports published in Yemen have accused pro-Iran Houthi militias of continuing to commit violations against minors. They exposed Houthis for having recruited more than 4,600 just in 2020, the Yemeni Ministry of Human Rights reported.

According to the reports, the staggering statistic includes child soldiers drafted into Houthi ranks between January and September this year.

Over the past years, the Houthi group has adopted terrorist methods and practiced heinous violations against children’s rights in the cities it controls.

The reports blasted Houthis for bypassing all values, moral principles, international and humanitarian norms and local laws.

Reports also implicated Houthis with deliberately depriving Yemeni youth from all services guaranteed to them by international laws and principles.

They said that Houthis use deprivation as a method to boost recruitment among youth which the group needs as cannon fodder.

The general manager of international organizations at the human rights ministry, Essam al-Shairi, revealed that the most up-to-date official statistic speaks of 4,638 children being recruited by Houthis.

In 2020, Houthis have upped their drafting of children seven-fold, al-Shairi said.

The Iran-backed group has exploited the educational vacuum experienced by Yemeni youth, he explained.

More on Houthis desecrating children’s rights, 38 minors were killed at battlefronts in Marib, al-Jawf and al-Bayda governorates, local sources in Al Mahwit governorate told Asharq Al-Awsat.

The kids were killed over the last few weeks during battles pitting pro-government forces and Houthis against each other.

After incurring heavy losses at battlefronts, Houthis are pressuring Yemeni families to supply them with youth recruits to replenish their depleted ranks.

Human rights activists have urged the human rights ministry to compel Houthis into halting their recruitment of minors.

The Yemeni Network for Human Rights and Freedoms, in collaboration with 13 international organizations, has monitored 65,971 violations against children in 17 Yemeni provinces between January 1, 2015 and August 30, 2019.

 

Source: https://english.aawsat.com/home/article/2571126/houthis-recruit-46000-child-soldiers-2020