SEYAJ Calls for the Houthi Rebels to Discharge Child Soldiers and Stop Using Civilians as Human Shields
SEYAJ urges the Houthi rebels expell child soldiers. GOOD! How do we know children are on the battlefield? Look at the Houthis videos and you’ll see them. Also hiding in cities and villages constitutes the use of civilians as human shields, a practice that must end.
SEYAJ further calls for supplies for the children in refugee camps and and end to the bombing campaigns that target residential areas.
SEYAJ, as I’ve said a dozen times before, is a really good organization. For further info and media contacts, see the SEYAJ website
There are children among the pro-government tribal militias as well.
SEYAJ PRESS RELEASE: Child Soldiers, Child Refugees, Human Shields and Civilian Targeting
SEYAJ Organization for the Protection of Children urges the protection of the displaced children in Sa’ada. In a humanitarian disaster, SEYAJ estimates more than 50,000 children are residing in refugee camps without or are trapped directly in the areas of active combat.
The Organization is further concerned about the presence of children and under-age recruits on the battlefield, carrying weapons and chanting slogans along with Houthi rebel forces. SEYEJ Calls on the Houthi group in this regard to commit to the non-recruitment of children in combat operations and the expulsion of all children from their ranks. .
According to information reported by SEYAJ, in a number of areas of the province of Saada, the insurgents are resorting to the villages and towns populated in order to avoid air strikes, artillery and fighting a guerrilla war that endangers the civilian population with he risk of death, injury and displacement from their homes, which methods are deplorable and reprehensible and unacceptable.
FAO warns of targeting of civilians (especially including children and women) or using them as human shields or their involvement in the battles of war and endangering their lives and their safety at risk.
The organization calls on the parties to the war in Sa’ada (the State and the Houthi’s group) to invoke the Constitution and the Yemeni law and international laws and treaties related to human rights and given those provisions of the privacy of children and women in the war.
And SEYAJ calls on all groups of Yemeni society, popular and official organizations and all humanitarian relief convoys to provide humanitarian assistance to the children of Saada and open centers for the collection of contributions in kind and financial resources to their benefit.
SEYASJ calls upon the parties to the war to secure the special roads for the passage of medical supplies and food for displaced persons and identifying the time earmarked for transit to alleviate the humanitarian situation there.
Issued by: SEYAJ Organization for the Protection of Children
Sanaa on August 29, 2009
