Houthi Militia Recruits Teenager After Initially Rejecting Him

The Houthi militia has recruited and deployed a 16-year-old boy, Hassan Al-Thawr, to fight in its ranks, despite initially informing his family that he was rejected due to his young age and being an only child. Al-Thawr disappeared from the Al-Habra neighborhood in the capital, Sana'a.

According to his family's account, Hassan went missing from the neighborhood, initiating a month-long search that included hospitals and police stations without any information about his whereabouts or fate.

The family stated that a Houthi militia member later informed them that the child had become a fighter within the militia's ranks. This development, according to the family, revealed that the group had enlisted him despite his age.

This incident highlights renewed concerns about the recruitment of children in Yemen, particularly in areas controlled by the Houthis, and their deployment in combat, which constitutes a violation of rules prohibiting the use of children in armed conflicts.

Hassan's case emerges amidst the ongoing Yemeni war, which has drawn thousands of children into the conflict, whether through recruitment, mobilization, incitement, or their use in tasks related to military operations.