Author(s): Abdulaziz Ahmed Mohammed Ahmed, Eman Abdullah Mohammed Ali Al Nyeb

Abstract: The recruitment and exploitation of child soldiers in Yemen has emerged as one of the gravest humanitarian crises of 2024, with armed groups systematically enlisting children as young as ten years old. This paper provides a comprehensive examination of the scale, methods, and consequences of this practice, grounded in findings from a six-month investigation into conflict zones across Yemen. Armed groups operate over six thousand training camps in all the country regions, blending military training with ideological indoctrination to condition and control child recruits. Recruitment strategies target socioeconomically vulnerable children through schools, social media, and community networks, employing a combination of financial incentives, coercion, deception, and intimidation. The study presents disturbing demographic data, revealing that the majority of recruits are boys aged twelve to seventeen, though girls are also recruited to serve in non-combat roles. Educational, economic, cultural, and social factors drive this widespread phenomenon, with the collapse of Yemen’s education system and rising poverty acting as primary catalysts. Psychological manipulation, religious justification, and systemic isolation within camps further entrench children's roles in armed conflict, making escape and reintegration exceedingly difficult. Despite the magnitude of the crisis, this study highlights significant progress made by rehabilitation initiatives led by K.Srelief and the International Labor Organization, which offer job training, mental health care, education, and family support to former child soldiers. These efforts demonstrate that effective prevention and reintegration are possible when rooted in economic empowerment and community resilience. The paper concludes with a call for urgent international collaboration, stronger enforcement of child protection laws, and long-term strategies to dismantle recruitment networks and rebuild Yemen’s social and educational infrastructure. Without sustained action, Yemen risks the continued loss of an entire generation to violence and exploitation.

Keywords: Recruitment, Exploitation, Child Soldiers, Civil Conflicts, Childhood Protection, Yemen.

Article Info: Received:11 Mar 2025; Received in revised form: 10 Apr 2025; Accepted: 16 Apr 2025; Available online: 22 Apr 2025

DOI: 10.22161/ijels.102.41