Joint Statement on the Universal Children’s Day: Protect and Deliver Justice for Yemen’s Children

End Violations, Provide Redress, and Involve Children in Peace Processes

On the Universal Children’s Day, observed annually on November 20, Yemen’s children continue to suffer from multiple gross violations committed by parties in conflict, primarily by Ansar Allah (the Houthis).

This day should motivate a renewed pledge to defend, protect, and promote the rights of Yemen’s children and to celebrate them. However, the reality is that they are enduring one of the world’s longest-lasting humanitarian crises driven by conflict, and many of the rights outlined in the Declaration of the Rights of the Child (1959) and the Convention on the Rights of the Child (1989) remain largely unmet.

Humanitarian needs and malnutrition:

A decade into the escalation, children’s humanitarian needs are rising alarmingly. UN sources estimate that around 9.8 million children in Yemen will require humanitarian assistance in 2025, within a crisis affecting approximately 19.5 million people. UNICEF data indicate that more than 2.7 million children suffer from acute malnutrition, and that about 49% of children under five experience chronic stunting—causing irreversible harm to cognitive and physical development. ReliefWeb+2 The United Nations in Yemen+2

Loss of life and injuries:

Since 2015, the United Nations has verified the killing or injury of more than 11,000 children, with the actual number likely considerably higher due to access constraints and fragmented monitoring systems. The documented figures reflect only the lower bound. UNICEF+1

Education as a recurrent target of attacks and disruption:

At least 2,900 schools have been destroyed, damaged, or repurposed for non-educational uses during the years of conflict. This, alongside security and economic factors, has pushed roughly 4.5 million children out of classrooms (nearly one in five children out of school). This reality undermines the right to education and compounds vulnerability across generations. UNICEF+2 Sana'a Center For Strategic Studies+2

Child recruitment and outstanding obligations:

Despite the Government of Yemen signing a 2014 action plan with the UN, and the Houthis signing a similar plan in 2022 to end the recruitment and use of children, practices on the ground, including the exploitation of schools, mosques, and summer camps, continue to reveal persistent risks of recruitment and use of minors. What is needed now is a shift from pledges to rigorous, transparent implementation. childrenandarmedconflict.un.org+1

Rasd Coalition has documented the following:

Rasd Coalition (a member of the Justice for Yemen Pact) verified 845 grave violations against children during 2023–2025 (the project’s two phases): 636 cases of recruitment, 47 arbitrary arrests, 64 injuries, 33 killings, 13 sexual violence cases, 48 attacks on schools, and 5 instances of denial of aid. Rasd Coalition also recorded 7,490 cases of child recruitment during 2015–2025. In the project’s second phase (since October 2024), among 82 incidents, a second violation against the same victim occurred in 32% of cases and a third violation in 5%. Killing and maiming most often occurred as the first pattern, followed by recruitment, then detention, attacks on schools/hospitals, and denial of assistance; as a second pattern against the same victim, killing predominates, followed by recruitment, then sexual violence, detention, and attacks; the third pattern varies between denial of assistance and attacks on schools.

The undersigned organizations recommend the following to the relevant Yemeni parties:

First: To Ansar Allah (the Houthis):

• Immediate cessation of all six grave violations against children; end child recruitment and halt all mobilization activities; prohibit the military use of schools/health facilities.

• Guarantee safe and unimpeded access for humanitarian and community organizations and UN agencies to victims and affected areas.

Second: To the internationally recognized Government of Yemen:

• Initiate institutional reforms tailored to child justice: activate juvenile prosecution offices and courts, strengthen judicial authority, expedite adjudication of children’s cases, and align relevant legislation with international standards.

• Establish/activate specialized police and judicial units for child protection; support the operation of juvenile homes and centers; and develop Psychosocial support and referral pathways MHPSS services.

• Facilitate access for civil society and UN agencies to victims and affected areas, and integrate child justice and child/survivor participation into any forthcoming peace processes.

Third: To Yemeni civil society organizations:

• Intensify awareness campaigns on the risks of recruitment and the six grave violations; expand MHPSS services for children and their families.

• Conduct independent documentation in line with UN standards and amplify victims’ voices in international forums and relevant mechanisms.

Fourth: To the United Nations and donors:

• Support the establishment/strengthening of a national reporting and referral mechanism aligned with international frameworks; link funding to time-bound, measurable plans to halt violations and protect children, with education prioritized as a core protection measure (safe return to school, addressing teacher and infrastructure gaps).

Conclusion

The continuation of the war in Yemen remains the most destructive driver of violations against children’s rights. It has fueled mass displacement and precipitated the collapse of education and health sectors, deepening household vulnerability. Children can only be protected and assured a safe future through a comprehensive cessation of violence, transparent accountability for perpetrators, and a protective environment that restores their rights to life, education, care, and dignity. We, the undersigned organizations, commit to advocating for children’s rights and to working with partners and authorities to urgently and effectively implement these recommendations.

Signatories:

1. The Yemeni Coalition for Monitoring Human Rights Violations (Rasd Coalition)

2. Musaalah Organization

3. Al-Amal Cultural and Social Women's Foundation

4. Marib Dam Foundation for Social Development

5. Free Media Center for Investigative Journalism

6. Center for Strategic Studies to Support Women and Children

7. Center for Economic Studies and Media

8. Human Rights Monitoring Organization

9. Association of Mothers of Abductees Organization

10. SAM Organization for Rights and Liberties

11. Rights Radar for Human Rights

12. Salam and Social Justice Organization

13. National Organization for Rights and Development

14. Equal Rights & Freedoms Organization

15. Ayn for Human Rights Organization

16. Investigative Human Rights Organization

17. Witnesses for Rights and Freedoms Organization

18. Protection for Civil Orientation Organization

19. Observer for Human Rights Organization