On the International Day against the Use of Child Soldiers, on February 12^th; the Yemeni civil society organizations that signed this statement renew their call to stop recruiting and involving children in military operations for the benefit of any of the parties to the conflict in Yemen.

According to the data and information of the Yemeni civil society; All parties have constantly worked to lure, and recruit children, and involve them in military operations, mainly by the Houthi group, which has sought at a high pace to lure and mobilize children to its camps, using all the means available; especially schools, mosques, summer centers, and the media. Our field researchers received testimonies and video recordings of Houthi officials inciting students in public schools, especially in primary and secondary schools, in addition to the Houthi media featuring child fighters on the frontlines, and talking to these media about their experiences in fighting.

Yemeni civil society organizations have documented (5588) cases of children recruited during the period from 2015 to 2022, including (5467) by the Houthi group, (93) by the Internationally Recognized Government, and (29) others recruited by military formations that are not under the control of the legitimate government.

We would like to stress the need to implement long-term, sustainable, and gender- and age-sensitive programs for the re-integration, rehabilitation, and demobilizing of children, and that they have access to health care, psychological and social support, and education, according to what was stated in Security Council Resolution No. 2427 (2018) and the principles of Paris.

Within this context, the undersigned civil society organizations call on all parties to the conflict in Yemen to immediately stop recruitment and the involvement of children in military operations and spare them the scourge of war and continue to work as organizations and activists to prevent the participation of children in military operations, and pressure to eliminate child recruitment and their use in the armed conflict in Yemen, and we stress the demand to hold the perpetrators of child recruitment violations accountable in Yemen and bring them to justice.

We also call on the United Nations system, the office of the UN Secretary-General's envoy to Yemen, the international community concerned with the human rights in Yemen, and international organizations concerned with the protection and care of children, to put pressure on all parties, to stop recruitment of children, and to reintegrate them into society.

#ChildrenNotSoldiers

#Justice4Yemen

#SRC

Signed by:

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

2- The Yemeni Organization for Economic Development

3- Annas Center for Human Rights

4- Diversity Foundation for Rights and Liberties

5- Marib Dam Foundation for Social Development

6- Abductees' Mothers Association

7- Observatory of Media Freedoms in Yemen

8- SAM Organization for Rights and Liberties

9- Free Media Center for Investigative Journalism

10- The National Authority for the Defense of Rights and Freedoms "Hood", Sheba and Shabwa region team

11- Rights Radar Organization for Human Rights - Netherlands

12- Taiz Center for Human Rights

13- Musawah Organization for Rights and Freedoms

14- Al-Jouf Organization for Liberties and Human Rights

15- Shohoud Organization for Human Rights

16- Taqassi Human Rights Organization

17- Human Free Organization for Rights and Development

18- Munasara Organization for Development and Human Rights

19- Ain Organization for Human Rights

20- Empowerment of Yemeni Women Foundation

21- Justice and Equity Organization for Development and Human Rights

22- The Humanitarian Center

23- Social Peace Organization

24- Insaf Organization for Rights and Development