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Houthi militia: Child soldiers aged 10 ‘are true men'

The Arabnews reported that fighters from the Iran-backed Houthi militia have openly boasted of recruiting child soldiers as young as 10 to fight in the Yemen war.
New video footage on social media shows dozens of children in uniforms standing in military formation in a camp in Dhamar province, declaring allegiance to Abdul-Malek Al-Houthi.
“Soldiers of God,” they shout. “We are coming.”
An aid worker who operates in remote northern areas described watching children manning checkpoints along the road, with AK-47 assault rifles hanging on their shoulders. Others were sent to the front line, he said, and children had returned wounded from fighting at Marib.

One hard-line Houthi fighter said: “These are not children. They are true men, who should defend their nation.”
Nearly 2,000 Houthi-recruited children were killed on the battlefield between January 2020 and May 2021, according to UN experts. Overall, the UN says over 10,200 children have been killed or maimed in the war, though it is not known how many were combatants.
Yemen needs more than eight years to remove over two million mines planted by Houthis
A UN panel of experts said this year that the Houthis had a system to indoctrinate child soldiers, including the use of humanitarian aid to pressure families. Children are told they are joining a holy war against Jews and Christians and Arab countries that have succumbed to Western influence, and seven-year-olds are taught weapons cleaning and how to dodge rockets.
Two farmers in Amran province said Houthi representatives came to their homes in May and told them to prepare their children for camps.
Yemenis begin talks to move the country from war to peace
Their five children aged between 11 and 16 were taken in late May to a training center in a nearby school. One father said he was told that if he didn’t send his children, his family would no longer receive food rations.
Source: arabnews
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BENEFIT Sponsors BuildHer...
- April 23, 2025
BENEFIT, the Kingdom’s innovator and leading company in Fintech and electronic financial transactions service, has sponsored the BuildHer CityHack 2025 Hackathon, a two-day event spearheaded by the College of Engineering and Technology at the Royal University for Women (RUW).
Aimed at secondary school students, the event brought together a distinguished group of academic professionals and technology experts to mentor and inspire young participants.
More than 100 high school students from across the Kingdom of Bahrain took part in the hackathon, which featured an intensive programme of training workshops and hands-on sessions. These activities were tailored to enhance participants’ critical thinking, collaborative problem-solving, and team-building capabilities, while also encouraging the development of practical and sustainable solutions to contemporary challenges using modern technological tools.
BENEFIT’s Chief Executive Mr. Abdulwahed AlJanahi, commented: “Our support for this educational hackathon reflects our long-term strategic vision to nurture the talents of emerging national youth and empower the next generation of accomplished female leaders in technology. By fostering creativity and innovation, we aim to contribute meaningfully to Bahrain’s comprehensive development goals and align with the aspirations outlined in the Kingdom’s Vision 2030—an ambition in which BENEFIT plays a central role.”
Professor Riyadh Yousif Hamzah, President of the Royal University for Women, commented: “This initiative reflects our commitment to advancing women in STEM fields. We're cultivating a generation of creative, solution-driven female leaders who will drive national development. Our partnership with BENEFIT exemplifies the powerful synergy between academia and private sector in supporting educational innovation.”
Hanan Abdulla Hasan, Senior Manager, PR & Communication at BENEFIT, said: “We are honoured to collaborate with RUW in supporting this remarkable technology-focused event. It highlights our commitment to social responsibility, and our ongoing efforts to enhance the digital and innovation capabilities of young Bahraini women and foster their ability to harness technological tools in the service of a smarter, more sustainable future.”
For his part, Dr. Humam ElAgha, Acting Dean of the College of Engineering and Technology at the University, said: “BuildHer CityHack 2025 embodies our hands-on approach to education. By tackling real-world problems through creative thinking and sustainable solutions, we're preparing women to thrive in the knowledge economy – a cornerstone of the University's vision.”
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