[05/02/2025 01:53]

NEW YORK - SABA
The government of Yemen has urged the international community and the United Nations to take serious and decisive measures to stop the grave violations committed by the Houthi terrorist militia against children in Yemen.

This was stated in a speech delivered by Yemen's Permanent Representative to the United Nations Ambassador Abdullah al-Sa'adi at the first regular session of 2025 of the Executive Board of the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) held at the UN headquarters in New York.

The session reviewed the catastrophic humanitarian conditions faced by children in Yemen due to the war waged by the Houthi militias for over a decade, which has led to an unprecedented humanitarian crisis and created disastrous economic, humanitarian, and social conditions affecting various aspects of life.

Millions of children are suffering from malnutrition and food insecurity, while more than 2.5 million children have been deprived of education.

The statement indicated that the practices of the Houthi militia have exacerbated health risks for children, including hindering and preventing vaccination campaigns and spreading misinformation that has led to the resurgence of eradicated diseases such as cholera in areas under the control of these militias.

It emphasized that the Houthi militia is committing serious violations against children by carrying out the largest recruitment campaigns in modern history, where tens of thousands of children are lured and trained in so-called "summer camps" before being sent to the battlefronts, in a blatant violation of international covenants and conventions on children's rights.

"The Houthi militia has worked since its coup to change educational curricula to serve its agenda and extremist ideology, instilling concepts of hatred, extremism, and terrorism, which poses a serious threat to the social fabric, the unity of Yemeni society, and the security and stability of Yemen and the region, threatening the present and future of children and future generations," said al-Sa'adi.

He addressed the practices of the Houthi militia in imposing restrictions and obstacles on humanitarian work in areas under their control, depriving millions of children and the most vulnerable groups of access to humanitarian aid, and exploiting this aid to serve their agenda and finance their war against the Yemeni people.

He pointed out the ongoing abductions and arbitrary detention campaigns carried out by the Houthi militia, which have targeted employees of international organizations, UN agencies operating in Yemen, and civil society organizations.

He clarified that the government of Yemen has repeatedly warned of the dangers of overlooking these violations, calling on the international community and the United Nations to exert pressure on the terrorist Houthi militias to immediately and unconditionally release all detainees from these organizations and UN agencies, including UNICEF employees.

Ambassador al-Sa'adi affirmed the Yemeni government's commitment to enhancing cooperation and the existing partnership with UNICEF, its dedication to protecting children's rights as enshrined in national legislation and international agreements, and its efforts to intensify UNICEF's efforts and its country team in Yemen, providing urgent and sustainable support to improve the conditions of children in Yemen due to this conflict, including strengthening social and health protection systems and ensuring a secure and stable future for children.

For her part, UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell emphasized in the opening session of this meeting that the organization is facing increasing challenges in funding its humanitarian programs due to global political and economic conditions.

She noted that 2025 is witnessing a noticeable escalation in humanitarian crises, necessitating intensified efforts to ensure the protection of children's rights worldwide.

She explained that the Executive Board will discuss several important issues, including reviewing the current strategic plan of the organization, setting a roadmap for the new plan for 2026-2029, as well as exploring ways to enhance gender equality and include children with disabilities in UNICEF programs.

She stressed the organization's commitment to ensuring humanitarian aid reaches children in need, focusing on expanding international partnerships to ensure the sustainability of necessary funding to support and implement relief and developmental programs.

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