Thursday | 22 October 2026
Minister of Human Rights Mashdal Mohammed participated on Thursday in the High-Level Meeting of the Group of Friends on Children and Armed Conflict (CAAC) in Yemen, held via video conference and co-chaired by the Ambassadors of Germany and Switzerland, with the participation of representatives from the United Nations, UNICEF, and international partners.
In his address, the Minister affirmed that protecting children, preventing their recruitment, and preventing grave violations against them are priorities for the Yemeni government. He reviewed the institutional and field measures taken to implement the roadmap adopted in cooperation with the United Nations, activate the relevant committees, issue binding directives prohibiting the recruitment of persons under the age of eighteen, and conduct monitoring visits to military and security units and camps.
He referred to the Ministry’s work, in cooperation with UNICEF, to establish a specialized operations room for monitoring and following up on reports of child recruitment, in preparation for completing its equipment and making it operational, while strengthening channels for receiving and responding to complaints. He explained that government efforts contributed to the removal of the Yemeni government forces from the annexes of the United Nations Secretary-General’s report on Children and Armed Conflict in 2022.
The Minister stressed the importance of treating children who have been recruited and drawn into hostilities as victims of exploitation and ensuring their protection. He reviewed psychological and social rehabilitation and reintegration programs, as well as efforts to rehabilitate damaged schools, clear mines from educational facilities, and facilitate the delivery of humanitarian assistance.
He warned of the worsening risks faced by children as a result of the escalation by the terrorist Houthi militias, explaining that documented information held by the Ministry indicates that at least 100 children recruited by the militias were killed during September alone, while the number of children recruited by the militias who have lost their lives on the battlefronts since 2015 has exceeded 4,700.
He also addressed the impact of shelling and landmines on children’s lives, as well as attacks on schools and healthcare facilities, noting that classes had been suspended or schools closed in 243 UNICEF-supported schools, affecting more than 137,000 students. He further warned of the consequences of the siege of Taiz and the obstruction of essential supplies, as well as the impact of the displacement of more than a quarter of a million people on children’s access to shelter, education, and healthcare.
The Minister called for strengthening technical and institutional support for monitoring, verification, and documentation mechanisms, expanding rehabilitation and reintegration programs, and taking effective international measures to pressure the militias to end child recruitment, attacks on schools and hospitals, and the obstruction of humanitarian assistance, while holding those responsible for grave violations against children accountable.
The meeting included a presentation by UNICEF representatives on figures related to violations against children, an intervention by the United Nations Resident Coordinator addressing the recent escalation and child protection requirements, as well as a question-and-answer session.
