Yemen’s child soldiers: How poverty and war are pushing minors to the frontlines

Yemen is experiencing a troubling phenomenon: the recruitment of child soldiers by both government-aligned forces and the Houthi rebels. Poverty and the brutal conflict are pushing minors to take up arms, with dire consequences for their futures.

Zeenab Ibrahim, a 17-year-old fighter, joined government forces to defend his village against Houthi aggression. Though not formally enlisted, he fights alongside his brother and cousins, using his father's Kalashnikov rifle. He views the conflict as a temporary struggle to reclaim his village, with no intention of pursuing a military career. Ibrahim plans to return to his studies and become an automotive engineer once the fighting ends.

This is not an isolated case. As soon as hostilities resumed in Yemen, child soldiers resurfaced amid accusations from both sides over their recruitment practices. The United Nations has documented 564 cases of child recruitment and use in Yemen between 2021 and 2023, with 345 linked to the Houthis and 210 to Yemen's armed forces.

Children as young as 8 years old have been recruited, with 27 under the age of 15 engaged in combat. Most of these children are used in support roles, such as guards at military checkpoints, informants, and drivers.

The UN's Moral Guidance Department, however, maintains a strict stance against child recruitment, strictly prohibiting it and ensuring children captured by government forces are referred to appropriate authorities. Yet, reports reveal that government forces also encounter children as young as 10 years old on the battlefield. These minors are treated as children rather than adult combatants.

The SAM Organisation for Rights and Liberties attributes the rising recruitment of child soldiers to the pervasive poverty in Yemen, exacerbated by the ongoing conflict.