September Net

The Deputy Permanent Representative of Yemen to the United Nations, said that the recent Houthi “attack on the city of Ma’rib has led to the death of nearly 2000 children recruited by the Houthi militia in its ranks.”

Marwan Noaman made the remarks in a speech delivered at a high-level meeting on the protection of children in armed conflict organized under the auspices of the European Union, Belgium and Niger on the sidelines of the 76th session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York.

He said that the Houthi militia has recruited more than 35,000 children since 2014, 17% of whom are under the age of 11, while 6,729 children are actively fighting on the Houthi fronts.

Noaman stressed that the sectarian militia see Yemeni people, including children, as mere resources to use in fueling their wars.

He pointed out the danger of the Houthi militia’s use of schools, mosques and summer camps to brainwash at least 60,000 children, train them and send them to the fronts.

He said the Houthi militia’s denial of the spread of coronavirus pandemic in its areas of control has led to the spread of the epidemic among parents, which has a direct impact on children in light of the collapse of the health system in those areas.