Young children are fighting in the war in Yemen. Many of the
soldiers are between the ages of 13 and 16. The parents of the boy soldiers
feel that their sons should be in school and not fighting in Yemen’s civil war.
They feel that the boys are much too young to be involved in such violence. One
statistic states that nearly one third of the Houthi military force are boys
under the age of 18. The children are agreeing to fight in the war since they
are receiving benefits. They are told that they will be given money as well as
regular meals. Psychologically it is upsetting to the boy soldiers and can be traumatizing.
The families of the soldiers may also become dependent on the money the boy
soldiers are making, so they may end up supporting their child at war in order
to have food and shelter. Some children may be reluctant to return home in
order to finish their mission.
Marissa Kulak
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