United Nations condemns Houthis to recruit 1,500 children in Yemen

United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) confirmed that it had received several reports, most recently last week about the recruitment of children in Yemen, and the use of children in armed conflict by the combatants, most of them affiliated Houthi group

The UN has verified the recruitment of 1,476 children, all boys, between 26 March 2015 and 31 January 2017, said a statement by the spokesperson for the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Ravina Shamdasani, on Tuesday

"The numbers are likely to be much higher as most families are not willing to talk about the recruitment of their children, for fear of reprisals," she said

"Just last week, we received new reports of children who were recruited without the knowledge of their families," she said, adding that children under 18 are either being "misled or attracted by promises of financial rewards or social status,"she added 

She pointed out that "most of them promptly to the front lines or work at the checkpoints

Under international human rights law and international humanitarian law, with regard to cases of recruitment of children , she said that the recruitment and use of children in armed conflict is prohibited for children under fifteen, it may amount to a war crime, and urged the parties to free these children immediately