Houthi violations against Yemenis discussed in Geneva

Yemeni human rights activists revealed in Geneva on Friday the violations of Houthis militias against all segments of society, including children, and accused the group of having recruited 238 minors despite recent agreements with the United Nations against such acts.

The Yemeni official media stated that the team of the Human Association for Rights and Freedoms reviewed with Antara Singh, Human Rights Officer from the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, the conditions of children in Yemen in light of violations committed by the militias and their failure to commit to the agreements signed with UNICEF on protecting children during armed conflict.

At a meeting held at the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights in Geneva on the sidelines of the 53rd session of the Human Rights Council, the Yemeni team said that civil society organizations monitored and documented the cases of 238 children, who were recently recruited.

The Yemeni human rights team referred to the Houthi militia’s violations, including the planting of mines and booby-trapped devices in the form of unrecognizable toys, pointing that most of the victims were children.

The Yemeni group also shed light on ethnic cleansing carried out by the Houthi militia in the Harf Sufyan area in Amran Governorate, calling for an international fact-finding committee to investigate the crimes.

The team also briefed Nadine Sahouri, responsible for the Yemen file in the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, on the widespread arrests of human rights activists and civilians, and the violations and torture they are subjected to in Houthi prisons, which have caused permanent disabilities for some of them.

Meanwhile, Yemeni human rights activists organized a conference on the impact of armed conflicts on human rights at the Palais des Nations in Geneva, on the sidelines of the 53rd session of the Human Rights Council.

ASHARQ AL ALAWSAT