RIYADH, 9 October, 2026 (Kamran Raja): Saudi Arabia’s National Society for Human Rights has urged the United Nations and the Security Council to take decisive action to end the recruitment and exploitation of children by Yemen’s Houthi militia, calling for the release of recruited minors and accountability for those responsible. According to the Saudi Press Agency (SPA), the society condemned the continued recruitment and use of children in combat operations, warning that the practice exposes them to serious danger, deprives them of education and a safe childhood, and threatens their future. It cited international reports documenting the recruitment of children by the Iran-backed Houthis and urged concrete measures to prevent further recruitment, secure the release of affected children, stop their re-recruitment and hold perpetrators accountable. Human rights organisations and UN investigators have repeatedly documented the use of child soldiers in Yemen’s conflict. A 2024 Human Rights Watch investigation, titled “Exploiting the Gaza Conflict,” reported that the Houthis used the war in Gaza to encourage children to participate in recruitment activities, including through schools and summer camps, with some minors later sent to front lines. A separate study by SAM for Rights and Liberties and Euro-Med Human Rights Monitor documented the recruitment of at least 10,300 Yemeni children between 2014 and 2021. Although the Houthis signed a UN action plan in 2022 pledging to end the recruitment and use of children, human rights monitors have continued to report violations. The society warned that involving children in armed conflict fuels violence and extremism, prolongs fighting and undermines peace and stability. Yemen has remained engulfed in conflict since the Houthis seized the capital, Sanaa, in 2014, followed by a Saudi-led military intervention in 2015 in support of the internationally recognised government. The society stressed that efforts to end child recruitment must also include rehabilitation and reintegration programmes, psychological and social support, and assistance to help affected children return to their families, schools and communities. It called on the international community to move beyond documenting and condemning violations towards effective action and accountability. The United Nations has likewise urged parties to the conflict to release children from their ranks, end recruitment, ensure humanitarian access and investigate violations against children. In September, UN Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict Vanessa Frazier visited Saudi Arabia for discussions with government officials and other stakeholders on protecting children affected by armed conflict, highlighting the need for international cooperation and sustained humanitarian support.