Developments in Yemen

The signing of the ceasefire agreement between the Government of Yemen and the Al-Houthi armed group in February 2010 resulted in the de-escalation of the conflict in Yemen, with only sporadic fighting between the parties during the reporting period. Despite the ceasefire and ongoing peace negotiations, 20 per cent of Al-Houthi and 15 per cent of the tribal militia affiliated with the Government, Al Jaysh Al-Sha’bi, are children. A United Nations partner observed that 75 children have engaged in tribal conflicts in Al-Jawf Governorate and 123 children in Sa’ada Governorate. In the northern governorates, 90 caregivers reported that at least one of their children had participated in the armed conflict. Children have been observed undertaking security functions for both the pro-Government militia and Al-Houthi. It has been reported that boys are mostly used by Al-Houthi armed groups and pro Government militia in combat and logistical roles and girls in support roles (including food preparation, gathering military intelligence and carrying detonators) and are trained on how to use weapons. Children reportedly joined Al-Houthi and pro-Government militia for ideological, political and/or economic reasons, and allegations of recruitment by forced marriage of girls to members of Al-Houthi and pro-Government militias were received. Fifty-five children reported that they were approached by Al-Houthi to join the armed group. In 2010, the media reported that two child recruits of Al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula, including an Iraqi and a German national, were tried by the Special Criminal Court on charges for planning attacks in Yemen. No further information is available on the recruitment and use of children by Al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula.

The Government has detained children in prisons for their association with Al Houthi during the six cycles of conflict. During the reporting period, the Government released 34 children from detention, of whom 31 were released as part of the ongoing peace negotiations. At the time of writing, the United Nations did not have access to these children, and therefore has not been able to verify the total number of children detained or released. In addition, there is lack of clarity on the basis of detention of the children.

A total of 42 reports of children killed and 55 reports of children injured were received, allegedly a direct result of the fighting between Al-Houthi and pro Government militia. Additionally, 34 children were killed and 24 sustained serious injuries from explosive remnants of war throughout Yemen in 2010.

Credible sources reported that at the end of 2010, some 43 per cent of schools in Sa’ada Governorate were partially or completely destroyed owing to mortar shelling and crossfire during clashes between parties to the conflict. In two separate incidents, unexploded ordnance were sighted in schools in Malaheed in Sa’ada Governorate, and three bombs were found in a girls’ school in Aden Governorate.

Over 80 per cent of the health-care facilities was either damaged or lost in Sa’ada Governorate as a result of the conflict, which has continued to seriously affect the provision of health care to the community, including to children. In this governorate alone, approximately 35 per cent of health-care structures were partially or completely destroyed owing to mortar shelling and crossfire during clashes between parties to the conflict, and most of the health workforce has migrated outside the governorate. On 28 November, AQAP kidnapped the Director of Al Salam Hospital in Sa’ada, which resulted in the closure of the hospital for two days. The hospital had been admitting around 3,000 patients a day.

Access by the United Nations and humanitarian agencies to conflict-affected populations in the Sa’ada and Al-Jawf Governorates was problematic during the reporting period, with the Government frequently denying permission for access to humanitarian missions, and, when granted, Government guards refusing passage to United Nations staff and aid convoys at checkpoints on multiple occasions. Tribal groups have also stopped humanitarian missions at checkpoints. Tribal groups and Al-Houthi have looted food and educational supplies en route to these areas and from warehouses. The denial of humanitarian access, combined with extremely high levels of poverty and a lack of health and nutrition services, has had significant consequences for the well-being of children in conflict-affected governorates in Yemen, with a total of 11,931 children found in western districts of Sa’ada Governorate to be suffering from global acute malnutrition.

Information on progress made by parties to conflict on dialogue and action plans to halt the recruitment and use of children, patterns of killing and maiming of children or rape and other forms of sexual violence against children in armed conflict

Ongoing dialogue between UNICEF and the Government of Yemen for the immediate release of children detained for their association with Al-Houthi led to the opening of discussions with the Ministry of Defence on the issue of child recruitment and use, including towards the preparation of an action plan to cease all grave violations against children.

Parties in Yemen

1. Al-Houthi rebels *
2. Pro-Government tribal militia *