Yemen children protest child abuse as war continues in north

SANA'A, Nov. 17 (Saba) - Over 400 Yemeni children walked on Tuesday to the UNDP's office in Sana'a in protest against child abuse in the far north.

At the office, a child representative delivered a letter to the UN Secretary
General condemning using children for subversion and terrorism by the Houthi rebels
who have
been fighting the troops since 2004.
The letter urged the UN to protect the Yemeni children from exploitation during
conflicts and delivered a reminder for civil society organizations and
international childhood
agencies to assume their responsibility toward childhood in Yemen.
Chairman of the walk organizer, the Shawthab Association for Childhood, Lamya'a
Al-Eryani said the anti-child abuse protest was aimed at demonstrating what the
children
face in the war-hit areas in Saada and Amran provinces where the insurgents use
underage fighters to confront the troops.
She pointed to the suicider child who was sent by the rebels to the battlegrounds
with explosives.
The children will continue their walk to the UNICEF headquarters on Wednesday to
hand an anti-child abuse statement urging the International Organization for
Child Rights
Protection represented by the UNICEF to make interventions as the war is continuing
in the north, she said.
Moreover, a press conference is to take place at the Sheba Hotel on Wednesday that
will highlight child abuse and engaging them in fighting and subversion, she added.
Many reports appeared amid the sixth war between the army and the rebels saying
underage fighters were seized and killed in the clashes. They were forced and used
by the
insurgents as military operations intensified against them killing most tough rebel
fighters.
FR