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

Sanaa, Yemen – A month ago, a Houthi recruiter in his 40s, approached 16-year-old Abdulkarim in Sanaa and told him about the possibility of being sent to the front line in Marib, where fighting was raging against pro-government forces.Abdulkarim was promised a Kalashnikov, and a one-month military training course and 50,000 Yemeni rials ($100), slightly above the local average.Recommended Stories list of 4 itemslist 1 of 4In Yemen, dates provide lifeline for farmers with few economic optionslist 2 of 4‘Breaks my heart’: Yemen jab shortages spark fears for millions of childrenlist 3 of 4Yemeni forces launch counteroffensive against Houthis, vow to retake Sanaalist 4 of 4Saudi Arabia says 73 wounded as Houthis attack civilian and energy sitesend of listIn a country where more than four in five rural children are multidimensionally deprived, the offer was a tempting one. While Abdulkarim was ready to fight, his father, 39, did not approve and so Abdulkarim stayed in Sanaa.“My father advised me that survival on active front lines nowadays is minimal, and going there is a sure step to death, injury or captivity. I told the Houthi man of my father’s objection, and he left,” Abdulkarim to...