The Child Soldier Crisis in Yemen: The Silent Tragedy of War in 2025

The conflict that continued in Yemen for more than a decade has positioned the country at the center of the world’s one of the most severe humanitarian crises. One of the most destructive and lasting impacts of this war is the active use of children in hostilities by armed groups. The recruitment and deployment of child soldiers primarily by the Houthi movement but also by other actors on the ground not only constitute grave violations of international humanitarian law, but also create the risk of a “lost generation” that will shape Yemen’s future in deeply troubling ways. 

The Houthis have recruited thousands of children since the start of the conflict in Yemen in 2014. The United Nations has verified at least 1,851 individual cases of child recruitment or use by the Houthis since 2010. According to Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Monitor and SAM Organization for Rights and Liberties, a Yemeni civil society organization, the Houthis recruited over 10,000 children between 2014 and 2021. The Yemeni government has also recruited children throughout the conflict despite an action plan to end child recruitment that they signed with the UN in 2014. 

The UN secretary-general has included the Houthis in his annual list of groups responsible for grave violations against children in armed conflict every year since 2011. He initially listed the Houthis for their recruitment and use of child soldiers, and since 2016 has also listed them for killing and maiming children and for attacks against schools and hospitals.  

In 2022, the Houthis signed an actşon plan with the UN to end grave violations against children, including the recruitment and use of children in their forces, and committed to releasing all children from their forces within six months. 

Tawfik al-Hamidi, the president of SAM, told Human Rights Watch that the Houthis use their government institutions in their efforts to recruit children, including the Ministries of Education, Interior, and Defense. “All of them are working together and coordinating to mobilize children and recruit them,” he said. 

Another activist, who works as a human rights researcher, said that “[recruitment] activities in schools have increased massively [since October 7], including through the school scouts. They take students from schools to their culture centers where they lecture children about the Jihad and send them to military camps and front lines.” 

By leveraging official institutions, including schools, the Houthis have managed to take advantage of a far broader swathe of children. The UN secretary-general has also reported on the Houthis’ use of educational facilities for military purposes. 

Human Rights Watch has also documented the Houthis’ use of much-needed humanitarian assistance to recruit men and children to their forces. At least 21.6 million people in Yemen, about two-thirds of the population, need some form of humanitarian assistance, and 80 percent of the country struggles to put food on the table and access basic services, according to the UN Population Fund. 

“While the main reason for families to send their children is their position supporting the Palestinian cause, Houthis offer salaries and food baskets for families of those who are willing to join them, which works well given the deteriorated humanitarian and economic situation,” said a female human rights activist in Sanaa.  

Four out of every five children - a total of 11 million - need humanitarian assistance in Yemen, while 400,000 are suffering from acute malnutrition and more than 2 million are out of school, UNICEF spokesman said in U.N. briefing in Geneva after returning from a visit to Yemen. 

Legal expert Lisa Al-Badawi highlighted efforts to rehabilitate former child soldiers and children affected by the war in Yemen. She said children make up a third of fighters in the Houthi militias, according to a field study by the Wethaq Foundation for Civil Orientation. 
 
The study showed that 80 percent of child soldiers in Yemen begin fighting to earn much-needed money amid deteriorating economic conditions, while just 10 percent join Houthi ranks for “ideological reasons.” 
 
Al-Badawi revealed numerous human rights violations faced by the recruits, including the risk of death and injury, deprivation of education, and exposure to sexual and psychological abuse. She also discussed the methods used to treat and rehabilitate these children, emphasizing the importance of promoting awareness among parents. 

Dr. Hamdan Al-Shehri, a Saudi political analyst and international relations scholar, said he is not surprised by the Houthis’ large-scale recruitment of children. “By devious design, they push children onto the frontlines so that when the children become victims, the Houthis can cry foul and blame the legitimate Yemeni government for killing children,” he told Arab News. 
 
“These are terrorist militias, and like all terrorists, they have no qualms about playing with the lives of children.” 
 
It is easy for the militias to brainwash children, Al-Shehri said. “Grown people are difficult to convince, but children become easy prey,” he added. 
 
“In most cases, the Houthis don’t even tell children that they’re going to the frontlines. They lure them by saying they’ll be helping their men.” 

The daily lives of child soldiers in Yemen are marked by violence, fear, and deprivation. Children as young as 10 are forced to undergo rigorous military training, often in harsh and unsanitary conditions. They are taught to handle weapons, plant explosives, and participate in combat operations, tasks that are both physically and psychologically demanding.  

Training camps, particularly those run by the Houthis, are designed to break down a child’s resistance and instill obedience. Children are subjected to grueling physical drills, sleep deprivation, and punishment for disobedience. According to a report by Human Rights Watch (2023), many children suffer from injuries, malnutrition, and untreated illnesses because of their training. 

The disruption of education is another significant consequence. Children who are recruited into armed groups miss out on years of schooling, leaving them ill-equipped to contribute to their communities or the economy. This lack of education perpetuates cycles of poverty and limits Yemen’s ability to rebuild after the war. 

  The recruitment of child soldiers has far-reaching implications for Yemen’s future. Beyond the immediate harm to the children themselves, this crisis threatens to perpetuate cycles of violence and poverty, undermining efforts to achieve lasting peace and stability. 

Despite the grim reality, there are efforts underway to address the recruitment of child soldiers in Yemen. International organizations, local NGOs, and government agencies are working to rehabilitate former child soldiers and prevent further recruitment.  

1. Rehabilitation Programs  

Organizations such as KS relief and the International Labor Organization (ILO) have implemented programs aimed at rehabilitating former child soldiers. These initiatives provide psychological counseling, education, and vocational training to help children reintegrate into society. For example, KS relief's rehabilitation centers offer a safe space for children to heal and learn new skills, giving them a chance to rebuild their lives (KSrelief, 2023).  

2. Prevention Efforts  

Preventing further recruitment is a key focus of intervention programs. By addressing the root causes of recruitment such as poverty, lack of education, and social instability. These initiatives aim to create a safer environment for children. Community awareness campaigns, school-based programs, and economic support for vulnerable families are among the strategies being used.  

3. International Advocacy  

The international community has also played a role in addressing this crisis. Organizations such as UNICEF and Human Rights Watch have documented cases of child recruitment and called for accountability. The United Nations has imposed sanctions on individuals and groups involved in the recruitment of children, though enforcement remains a challenge. 

In 2025, 9.8 million children in Yemen are in need of humanitarian assistance. Parties to the conflict have attacked hospitals and schools, causing disruptions to health services and children’s education. Warring parties’ attacks on water and food infrastructure, and their weaponization of water, have had particularly harmful impacts on children. Many children have had to drop out of school to make time to travel and queue to bring water to their families. 

The Houthis and the Saudi- and UAE-led coalition have committed serious violations against children throughout the war. Indiscriminate attacks have destroyed schools and hospitals and killed or injured thousands of children. Warring parties, including the Houthis and government forces, have recruited and deployed over 4,000 children in combat, according to the UN. The Houthis have also recruited children into their armed forces under the pretext of defending Palestine. 

The current situation surrounding the use of child soldiers in Yemen demonstrates that, despite years of international engagement, the crisis continues to deepen. The limited implementation of post-2022 action plans, as the conditions in the region still unstable, makes clear that current protection measures remain insufficient. 

Ultimately, any sustainable path toward peace in Yemen depends on protecting the country’s most vulnerable population and ensuring that an entire generation is not lost to the conflict. 

References 

1. Human Rights Watch (2024) – Houthi recruitment rise after Oct 7 
Human Rights Watch. (2024, February 13). Yemen: Houthis recruit more child soldiers after October 7. https://www.hrw.org/news/2024/02/13/yemen-houthis-recruit-more-child-soldiers-october-7 

2. Arab News (2018) – Houthi child soldiers report 
Arab News. (2018, June 25). Houthis send children to frontlines in Yemen war. https://www.arabnews.com/node/1326296/middle-east 

4. Human Rights Watch (2015) – Children sent to battle 
Human Rights Watch. (2015, May 12). Yemen: Houthis send children into battle. https://www.hrw.org/news/2015/05/12/yemen-houthis-send-children-battle 

5. ResearchGate Article – Academic paper on recruitment 
Al-Mikhlafi, M. (2024). The recruitment of child soldiers in Yemen: A humanitarian crisis. ResearchGate. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/391163016 

6. Sana’a Center for Strategic Studies (2024) – Child recruitment analysis 
Sana’a Center for Strategic Studies. (2024). No respite in the recruitment of Yemen’s child soldiers. https://sanaacenter.org/ypf/no-respite-in-the-recruitment-of-yemens-child-soldiers/  

7. Human Rights Watch World Report (2025) – Yemen chapter 
Human Rights Watch. (2025). World report 2025: Yemen. https://www.hrw.org/world-report/2025/country-chapters/yemen 

8. UNICEF (2021) – 10,000 children killed or maimed 
UNICEF. (2021, December 11). A shameful milestone: Over 10,000 children killed or maimed in Yemen since fighting began. https://www.unicef.org/mena/press-releases/shameful-milestone-yemen-10000-children-killed-or-maimed-fighting-began 

9. Reuters (2021) – UNICEF child casualties data 
Lewis, A. (2021, October 19). UNICEF says 10,000 children killed or maimed in Yemen since 2015. Reuters. https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/unicef-says-10000-children-killed-or-maimed-yemen-since-2015-2021-10-19/