Born to be torn: A generation raised under Houthi rule in Yemen

Alkhadher Sulaiman recalls warning nearly eight years ago about children growing up under Houthi control in Yemen. He says children are now being recruited to fight and that schools and summer camps are used for indoctrination and military training, practices documented by the UN and the US Department of Labor. The consequences of childhood shaped by fear and disrupted schooling affect learning, mental health and young people’s ability to envision a future beyond war. Sulaiman argues that waiting for an uprising against the Houthis is not enough, and points to recent attacks in Aden, Hadramout, Shabwa and Saudi Arabia as evidence that the repercussions extend beyond areas under Houthi control.