Houthis recruited more than 10,000 children in Yemen since 2014: Report
February 13, 2021, 11:57 am

Houthis recruited more than 10,000 children in Yemen since 2014: Report

Newly recruited Houthi fighters parade before heading to the frontline to fight against government forces, in Sanaa, Yemen January 4, 2017. (Reuters)

The Houthi militia in Yemen have forcibly recruited 10,300 children in Yemen since 2014, according to a latest report that revealed the Iran-backed militant group have used schools and educational facilities to lure minors to recruitment.

The Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Monitor and the SAM for Rights and Liberties said in a report released on Friday that said that the Houthis use complex patterns to forcibly recruit children and put them in hostile areas under its control in Yemen.“The group uses an education system that incites violence and teaches the group’s ideology through special lectures inside the official educational facilities to fill students with extremist ideas and encourage them to join the fight to support the group's military actions,” read the report released on February 12 to mark the “International Day against the Use of Child Soldiers” (also known as Red Hand Day).

A boy displays skills during a parade held by newly recruited Houthi fighters before the fighters head to the frontline to fight against government forces, in Sanaa. (Reuters)

The report said that in the past three years, the Houthis have been running an open and compulsory campaign to recruit children. Specifically, the Houthis have opened 52 training camps for thousands of adolescents and children in Saada, Sanaa, al-Mahwit, Hodeidah, Tihama, Hajjah and Dhamar.

The Houthis have specifically targeted children 10 years old or above, according to the report.

The report released on Friday comes as the United States will officially remove the Iran-backed Houthi militia and its leaders from its terror lists next week, according to a statement from Secretary of State Antony Blinken.

The Houthis have been ramping up their terror attacks on Saudi Arabia in the past week, claiming responsibility for a drone attack on a civilian airplane at Saudi Arabia’s Abha airport on Thursday and launching bomb-laden drones and a ballistic missile intercepted by the Arab Coalition.

The latest reports on child soldiers being recruited by the Houthis revealed that the Houthis force children into ideological programs first before sending them to military training camps to attend a one-month course. Houthi child soldiers are then sent to battlefronts to participate in direct clashes, laying mines and guarding military points.

I was assigned with loading the guns and transporting them with foodstuffs to high, rugged areas. It was hard and exhausting. I used to get beaten and reprimanded when I arrived late. I cried a lot during those nights, fearing for my life and for missing my mother, father and brothers,” said one child, 14 and identified as H.A. in the report, on his experience fighting for the Houthis in Nihm.

Child recruitment is a war crime according to the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court.

“What is more troubling is not only the inclusion of children in military operations but feeding their simple minds with extremist ideas and filling them with hate speech and violence, and thus creating future extremists who may not be easily controlled given the huge number that the group recruits or aims to recruit in the future,” said Anas Jerjawi, Euro-Med Monitor MENA Regional Director.

source: Ismaeel Naar

Image source: Reuters

Levant

Anger over arrests in Myanmar at anti-coup protests Fewer than a third of UK doctors feel protected from Covid at work – poll

BENEFIT, the Kingdom’s innovator and leading company in Fintech and electronic financial transactions service, has announced its sponsorship of the “Innovation and Sustainable Technology Solutions Competition (GU - IST Solutions), hosted by Gulf University at its main campus.
This strategic sponsorship reflects BENEFIT’s active role in advancing technological innovation and fostering sustainable solutions to future challenges. It also seeks to empower Bahraini youth by enhancing their skills, capabilities, and competitiveness in innovation and solution development—contributing meaningfully to the broader goals of sustainable development across all sectors.
As part of BENEFIT’s active involvement in the competition, the company has announced that Hanan Abdulla Hasan, Senior Manager of Public Relations and Communication, will serve on the competition’s supervisory committee. Her upcoming participation reflects BENEFIT’s forward-looking commitment to championing academic and professional excellence.
Commenting on the occasion, Hanan Abdulla Hasan, Senior Manager of Public Relations and Communication at BENEFIT, said, “We are privileged to support this pioneering initiative, which aligns seamlessly with BENEFIT’s enduring commitment to fostering innovation and nurturing the potential of Bahrain’s youth. Our participation is rooted in a deep sense of social responsibility and a firm belief in the pivotal role of innovation in shaping a sustainable future. Through such platforms, we seek to empower the next generation with the knowledge, skills, and foresight required to develop impactful solutions that address future challenges, in line with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals 2030.”
Dr. Aseel Al Ayash Dean of the College of Engineering in Gulf University commented, “We extend our sincere gratitude to BENEFIT for their generous sponsorship and support of the Innovation and Sustainable Technology Solutions Competition. This contribution plays an instrumental role in helping us achieve the strategic goals of this initiative, namely, cultivating a culture of innovation and sustainability, encouraging efforts that address the imperatives of sustainable development, and enhancing the practical and professional capabilities of our students and participants.”
The event will bring together a diverse spectrum of participants, including secondary school students, university undergraduates, engineers, industry professionals, entrepreneurs, academic researchers, and subject matter experts representing a wide range of disciplines.
The competition seeks to inspire participants to develop and present innovative, sustainable technologies aimed at addressing pressing environmental, social, and economic challenges. It encourages the formulation of business models that integrate advanced technological solutions with core principles of sustainability. Moreover, it serves as a platform for emerging leaders, entrepreneurs, and innovators to contribute to the advancement of the Sustainable Development Goals, promote the ethos of responsible technology, and demonstrate its transformative potential across various sectors.
Attendees will have the opportunity to view a series of project presentations submitted by participants, covering diverse areas such as eco-friendly product design, smart and sustainable innovations, renewable energy technologies, water conservation and management, waste minimisation and recycling, green architectural solutions, and sustainable transportation systems. Outstanding projects will be formally recognised and awarded at the conclusion of the event.