Yemen
Advocacy
The Houthis (who call themselves Ansar Allah) are listed in the annexes of the SG’s latest report on CAAC for recruitment and use, killing and maiming, and attacks on schools and hospitals. Security Belt Forces, pro-government militias, including the Salafists, and popular committees, and Al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula, are also each listed for recruitment and use. The Security Council receives a monthly briefing on Yemen, pursuant to SCR 2747 (2024). Since May 2024, the Houthis have detained over 50 United Nations, diplomatic, and NGO personnel. In late January, the group captured eight more UN staff members, among them a World Food Programme (WFP) staff member who died in detention on February 10, 2025. In addition, recent US military airstrikes in Yemen have resulted in the deaths of ten people, including four children, and injuries to over 20 in the northern Saada Governorate. The Security Council should:
- Call for the immediate and unconditional release of all detained UN and civil society workers, and demand that all parties fully comply with obligations under IHL and IHRL, including allowing and facilitating the immediate, safe, and unimpeded delivery of humanitarian aid to children and other civilians in need;
- Reiterate support for continued dialogue towards a comprehensive and inclusive peace process that includes meaningful child participation and protection measures, pursuant to SCR 2427 (2018) and drawing on the Practical Guidance for Mediators;
- Call on the Government of Yemen, the Security Belt Forces, the Amaliqah Brigades and all groups affiliated with the Presidential Leadership Council to fully and swiftly implement all relevant activities under the Government’s 2014 action plan and 2018 roadmap, including the adoption of a handover protocol on the release of children detained during military operations, further capacity-building for officers and a complaints mechanisms;
- Call on the Houthi’s to fully and swiftly implement the 2022 action plan and handover protocol, in close collaboration with the UN, notably to continue conducting age assessments in recruitment centers and training of officers on child protection and granting unimpeded access for the UN to all places of detention of children.
THE UNITED KINGDOM IS THE SECURITY COUNCIL PENHOLDER ON YEMEN.
This information is based on Watchlist’s Children and Armed Conflict Monthly Update – April 2025.
Publications
UN Action
Year listed: 2011
Action Plans signed: Yemen Armed Forces – recruitment and use of children (May 2014)
Sanctions Committee: 2140 Sanctions Committee (Current Chair: Saint Vincent and the Grenadines)
Secretary-General’s reports on CAAC in Yemen: 2021; 2019; 2013
Security Council Working Group conclusions on Yemen: 2020; 2013
Perpetrators listed in the annexes of the Secretary-General’s annual reports on children and armed conflict
| 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Al-Houthi/Ansar Allah* | a | a | a | a | a,b,d | a,b,d | |||||||||
| Pro-Government militias, including the Salafists and Popular Committees* | a | a | a | a | a | a | a | ||||||||
| Breakaway First Armoured Division (FAD) | a | ||||||||||||||
| Yemeni armed forces (YAF)~ | a | a | a | a | |||||||||||
| Al-Qaida in the Arab Peninsula (AQIP) | a | a | a | a | |||||||||||
| Ansar al-Sharia* | a | a | a | a | a | ||||||||||
| Government forces, including the Yemeni Armed Forces, the First Armoured Division, the Military Police, the special security forces and Republican Guards ~ * | a | a | a | a | a | ||||||||||
| Coalition to restore legitimacy in Yemen led by Saudi Arabia** | b,d |
a: Parties that recruit and use children
b: Parties that kill and maim children
c: Parties that commit rape and other forms of sexual violence against children
d: Parties that engage in attacks on schools and/or hospitals
e: Parties that engage in abduction of children
f: Parties that deny humanitarian access to children
~ This party has concluded an action plan with the United Nations in line with Security Council resolutions 1539 (2004) and 1612 (2005).
* This party has been in the annexes for at least five years and is therefore considered a persistent perpetrator.
**First listed as the Saudi Arabia-led coalition for killing and maiming and attacks on schools and hospitals in the 2016 report but removed on 24 June 2016 per addendum A/70/836/ADD.1-S/2016/360/ADD.1
