Yemen sees renewed child recruitment as fighting intensifies in Houthi-held areas

A Houthi recruiter in his 40s approached 16-year-old Abdulkarim in Sanaa, offering a Kalashnikov, a month of training and 50,000 Yemeni rials to fight on the front lines in Marib. Abdulkarim’s father rejected the proposal, and the teenager remained in the capital. Officials in Aden’s presidential office documented 62 cases of child recruitment in Houthi-controlled provinces during the second quarter of 2026, noting that the true number is likely higher.

Pro-government forces have captured some child soldiers, but recruitment is primarily reported in Houthi areas. Economic hardship, tribal expectations and ideological loyalty drive families to permit children, such as 17-year-old Ahmed, to enlist; he receives a monthly salary of 45,000 rials while serving on the Hodeidah front. Analysts say limited financial support can appear attractive to families living in extreme poverty, and that the ongoing war fuels a cycle of mobilization and retaliation that perpetuates child enlistment.