[30/09/2026 04:48]

ADEN-SABA

The Ministry of Human Rights issued an urgent humanitarian appeal Wednesday to parents and families in areas under the control of the Houthi militia, urging them to protect their children from recruitment and prevent them from being lured or forced into the militia’s ranks, while safeguarding their rights to life, education, and protection.

In a statement obtained by Saba, the ministry said field reports from the latest armed escalation showed that the Houthi militia continues to recruit children and send them to combat fronts. It noted that cases of child recruits had been documented among the dead and captured, constituting serious violations of children’s rights and international humanitarian and human rights law.

The ministry said it had documented the deaths of at least 100 children recruited by the militia during the armed clashes in September 2026, based on verified names, information, and photographs. It stressed that the figure represents only cases that could be documented, while available information indicates the actual number may be higher.

It also documented cases of children being abducted and lured in several militia-controlled governorates before being transferred to mobilization camps and sent to combat fronts. The ministry said such practices constitute serious violations of children’s right to life and protection and infringe on families’ rights to care for and protect their children from exploitation.

The ministry warned of recruitment methods used by the militia through what it calls “cultural courses,” “summer centers,” and “general mobilization programs,” as well as by exploiting families’ difficult living conditions. It urged parents not to hand their children over to any individuals or entities seeking to recruit them or separate them from their families and schools.

It also called on tribal sheikhs, community leaders, educators, and other social figures in militia-controlled areas to assume their moral and humanitarian responsibility to protect children, reject their recruitment, and work to return those already recruited to their families and educational institutions.

The Ministry of Human Rights held Houthi leaders and those responsible for recruiting, mobilizing, training, and sending children into combat fully legally responsible for their safety and lives. It stressed that recruiting and using children in armed conflicts constitutes a grave violation requiring accountability.

The ministry renewed its call on the United Nations and international organizations concerned with child protection to strengthen monitoring and documentation efforts, exert necessary pressure to halt child recruitment and secure the release of recruited children, and support programs for their rehabilitation and reintegration into society.

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