Yemen
Advocacy
Six parties to conflict are listed in the annexes of the Secretary-General’s (SG) 2019 annual report on children and armed conflict (CAAC) for grave violations against children. UNMHA’s mandate expires in January, pursuant to SRC 2481 (2019). In November, a power-sharing agreement was signed between the internationally recognized Government of Yemen and the Southern Transitional Council (STC); however, few deadlines have been met. December 13, 2019 marked one year since the Stockholm Agreement was signed, yet humanitarian actors note that the highest number of civilian casualties occurred in Hodeidah governorate, and nearly half of children killed as a direct result of the conflict from January to October 2019 died in Hodeidah and Taiz. Almost 2.2 million children live in 75 districts that are hard to reach by humanitarian actors; 80 percent of these face dire food shortages. The Security Council should:
- Express concern at the continued high number of child casualties in Hodeidah and Taiz, urge parties to swiftly and fully implement the Stockholm Agreement, commit to a full cessation of hostilities, and work towards a comprehensive and inclusive peace process that includes meaningful child participation and protection measures, pursuant to SCR 2427 (2018);
- Call upon the Government of Yemen to implement fully and without delay the December 2018 roadmap aimed at revitalizing its action plan to end and prevent child recruitment and use, immediately release all children within its ranks, and prioritize the establishment of age assessment mechanisms;
- Urge all other listed parties to sign and implement timebound action plans to end and prevent grave violations, as the only path towards delisting from the annexes of the SG’s annual report on CAAC;
- Demand that all parties facilitate safe and unhindered delivery of humanitarian assistance to children and other civilians in need;
- Call on the SG to list all parties that deserve so in Section A of the annexes of his annual report for all relevant violations, including the Saudi and Emirati-led Coalition for killing and maiming and attacks on schools and hospitals.
The United Kingdom is the lead country on Yemen.
This information is based on Watchlist’s Children and Armed Conflict Monthly Update: January 2020.
Publications
UN Action
Year listed: 2011
Action Plans signed: Yemen Armed Forces – recruitment and use of children (May 2014)
Sanctions Committee: 2140 Sanctions Committee (Yemen)
Secretary-General’s reports on CAAC in Yemen: 2013
Security Council Working Group conclusions on Yemen: 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
