“Children” in Houthi Detention Centers: Between Exploitation and Imprisonment

Within the framework of their intensive and continuous human rights activism on the sidelines of the 62nd session of the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva, a delegation from the “Erada” Organization for Combating Torture and Enforced Disappearance, in partnership with the Yemeni Center for the Rehabilitation of Victims of Violations and Torture (Will and Hope), held a meeting with the working group of the Special Rapporteur on the sale and sexual exploitation of children.

The meeting was dedicated to discussing the file of gross and systematic violations committed by the Houthi militia in Yemen against children, their exploitation, their recruitment, and the file of minor detainees. The President of the Yemeni Center and the Erada Organization submitted a documentary report to the UN team regarding the reality of abducted minors. He explained the systematic pattern of the Houthi militia’s exploitation of children, thrusting them into recruitment and sending them to the battlefronts in a flagrant violation of international humanitarian law.

During the meeting, the President of the Yemeni Center stressed the need to transition to the stage of international accountability, affirming the organization’s continued efforts, in partnership with the Yemeni Center, to build an accurate database of those involved in these gross human rights violations.

For their part, the working group concerned with the sale and exploitation of children expressed their deep appreciation for the exceptional role played by the “Erada” Organization, represented by its President, Sheikh Jamal Al-Maamari, praising the efforts made in mitigating violations and documenting the truth.

The Yemeni Center for the Rehabilitation of Victims of Violations and Torture (Will and Hope) renewed its pledge to the families of the victims to move forward in this human rights struggle, affirming its serious and relentless pursuit to combat violations and uphold the principles of justice, accountability, and the prevention of impunity.

Furthermore, the Yemeni Center calls upon the international community to assume its moral and legal responsibilities towards children in Yemen and to work on exerting pressure on the Houthi militia to stop these violations.

Issued by: The Yemeni Center for the Rehabilitation of Victims of Violations and Torture (Will and Hope) Marib, June 30, 2026