Yamanat
Rasd Foundation for Human Rights called on the parties to the conflict in Yemen and the international community to work to achieve justice for Yemeni children and enable them to live a dignified life.
She called for justice for Yemeni children to be included in the ongoing peace talks.
The Foundation indicated in a joint statement on the occasion of International Children’s Day, which falls on November 20 of each year, the importance of this occasion to remind the world of the necessity of promoting and celebrating the rights of children and defending them, especially Yemeni children who have been suffering from the effects of the war and its repercussions that have continued for nine years.
During the announcement of the statement signed by 43 local, regional and international organizations, the Foundation pointed out the suffering of Yemeni children from pain and suffering due to the war.
It held the parties to the conflict (the coalition led by Saudi Arabia and the UAE, the Ansar Allah group also known as the Houthis, the internationally recognized Yemeni government, the Southern Transitional Council, the UAE-backed joint forces, and Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula) responsible for committing violations against Yemeni children.
The Rasd Foundation for Human Rights indicated that perpetrators will continue, during the year 2023, to commit human rights violations against children, especially the most vulnerable and marginalized groups.
She noted that the violations varied between random ground attacks, drone attacks, sniping, the use of landmines, sexual violence, recruiting and using children as soldiers, and depriving them of humanitarian aid.
She indicated that she considers the violations among those classified by the United Nations as “six grave violations against children.”
According to research conducted by members of Rasd for Human Rights and the Yemeni Coalition for Monitoring Human Rights Violations, the conflict has caused 11 million children to need humanitarian aid, while 250 cases of grave human rights violations against children have been documented from January to September 2023, as violations included child recruitment. (85 cases), killing and maiming (75 cases), attacks on schools and hospitals (45 cases), kidnapping (24 cases), sexual violence (14 cases), and preventing access to humanitarian aid (7 cases).
The institution explained that the violations were also prolonged
Victims of the displaced and marginalized, pointing out that the Houthis committed most of these violations (84%), while the internationally recognized Yemeni government and the Southern Transitional Council committed 14%, and 2% were committed by unknown officials.
The organization warned of the “stolen” future of Yemeni children as a result of attacks on educational infrastructure, as more than two million Yemeni children are unable to go to school, referring to a report by the Red Cross, which stated that approximately one-fifth of schools have been closed, in addition to the Houthis’ use of schools, mosques, and camps. Summer campaign to recruit children to join their ranks, and Ansar Allah and the forces allied with the Yemeni government are recruiting children, despite the United Nations signing action plans with Ansar Allah and the Yemeni government to end the recruitment of children and their use in their armed forces.
The Foundation called on the parties to the conflict to immediately stop all violations against children, including the killing and mutilation of children, child recruitment, sexual violence, kidnapping, and obstruction of humanitarian access. They must refrain from attacks on medical and educational facilities and their use for military purposes, and she urged them to work with the United Nations and the international community to prioritize the protection of children in the ongoing peace talks between Saudi Arabia and the Houthis to ensure justice and accountability.
It also called on the United Nations and the international community to end impunity for violations committed by the warring parties, engage local civil society organizations and victims of human rights violations, and call for the establishment of an international team to investigate, collect evidence and monitor all human rights violations in Yemen, including grave violations against children. To ensure accountability.
She stressed the need to develop a comprehensive plan to ensure the registration of all children who are not currently enrolled in schools, especially marginalized and at-risk children, and to give priority to protecting and rehabilitating schools.
Rasd Foundation for Human Rights also revealed the most important organizations that signed the statement, which are as follows:
1. Human rights monitoring
2. The Yemeni Coalition to Monitor Human Rights Violations
3. DT Institute
4. Human Rights Watch
5. Justice Charter Alliance
6. Accountability Organization for Human Rights
7. Arab Network for Child Rights “Manara”
8. Defense for Children International Movement – Yemen
9. The Egyptian Foundation for the Advancement of Childhood Conditions – Defense for Children International Movement Egypt Branch
10. Egyptian Coalition for Child Rights
11. The Mauritanian Association for Maternal and Child Health, branch of Defense for Children International
12. Women and Child Development Center
13. Center for Strategic Studies to Support Women and Children
14. Women are peace
15. Develop your community organization
16. Free Media Center for Investigative Journalism
17. Washington Center for Yemeni Studies
18. Basma Foundation for Child and Women’s Development
19. Media Freedoms Observatory in Yemen
20. Rescue Foundation for Development
21. Ola Al Majd Foundation for Development
22. Al-Afdal Foundation for Development
23. Al-Mamoun Development Foundation
24. Survey for consultations and opinion measurement
25. Relief and development counterparts
26. Fina Khair Foundation for Development and Humanitarian Works
27. Al-Akhir Center for Peace and Development
28. Peace for Yemen
29. I For My Country Foundation
30. Al-Ghad Foundation for Sustainable Development and Humanitarian Relief
31. Green Earth Organization for Development and Rights
32. Abs Developmental Organization for Women and Children
33. Foundation for All for Development
34. Sada Foundation for Construction and Development
35. Rawahil Development Foundation
36. Al Amal Cultural Social Feminist Foundation
37. SAM Organization for Rights and Liberties
38. Marib Dam Foundation for Social Development
39. Association of Mothers of Abductees
40. Diversity of rights and freedoms
41. An organization that declined to mention the name
42. An organization that declined to mention the name
43. An organization that declined to mention the name