The Yemeni Observatory for Human Rights has documented shocking numbers of children being used by Houthi militias as child soldiers and dying in the field. The observatory is calling on the UN to take action.

The Yemeni Observatory for Human Rights recently revealed that the Iran-backed Houthi militia recruited 12,054 children, in several sub-districts in the period from May 2014 to May 2021.

The director-general of the Yemeni Coalition for the Supervision of Human Rights Violations (Hamitzpeh-Rased Coalition), Muthar al-Badiji, stated that the Houthi militia recruited 12,054 children, including 308 children recruited from the age group of 8 to 11 years, 4,430 children in the age group of 12 to 14, and 7305 children between the ages of 15 and 17.

He added that "the field staff of the Rased Coalition documented the presence of 6,729 child soldiers still fighting with the militia, while 2,450 children were killed in military operations, 498 children were injured and 790 children were captured on the various fronts, while 1,004 returned to their families."

The director of the Coalition called on the UN to put more pressure on Houthi militias to ensure that they are not mobilized to recruit children and stressed the need to implement the UN Secretary-General's decision to include the Houthi militia as Blacklisted with practical steps in the field.