[20/11/2019 06:33]

ADEN-SABA
Minister of Social Affairs and Labor Ibtihaj al-Kamal has said that 4.5 million children have left schools and were deprived from education since Houthi militia's coup on September 2014 and because of shelling schools and transferring them into military barracks and recruiting children as soldiers by the militia.

Talking to Saba on World Children's Day marking November 20, al-Kamal made it clear that Houthi rebel militia practiced the worst violations against children in Yemen, deprived them from all services ensured by international laws and principles and dragged them into war fronts.

She pointed out that2 million children out of 3 million born during the war suffer health problems and big number of them died due to deterioration of health care and not receiving necessary vaccinations in Houthi –held areas.

She confirmed that children have been victims to mines planted by Houthi militia in populated neighborhoods and roads and up to 800 children were killed and injured by mines.

The war- triggered by Houthi militia- forced more than 2 million children to go to labor market and sustain hard work to support their families, she said, adding that Houthi militia has recruited more than 23,000 children and kidnapped 700 children across their held-areas.

She confirmed that the government has made a national plan for limiting child labor in coordination with partners and aims at taking necessary measures for reducing this phenomenon via legislating child labor and expansion of education.

The plans aims also at withdrawing children from labor market and providing necessary care to them in addition to coordination with donors for supporting programs protecting children and rehabilitating them.

Al-Kamal called on international specialized organizations to help the government on supporting children projects and rehabilitating them and working with the government on protecting children against Houthi crimes.

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