Yemen’s reignited war fuels a new wave in child recruitment

A Houthi recruiter approached 16-year-old Abdulkarim in Sanaa, promising him a Kalashnikov, a one-month military training course, and 50,000 Yemeni rials. While the offer was tempting in a country where over four in five rural children are deprived, Abdulkarim's father disapproved, highlighting the dangers of the front lines. In 2026, 62 cases of child recruitment were documented in Houthi-controlled provinces, reflecting a systematic policy of child recruitment.