United Nations publishes documentation of 11 cases of rape and sexual violence against children in Yemen.
Arabian Sea Newspaper - Special
**Arab Gulf - Reports:** The United Nations documented 11 cases of rape and sexual violence related to the conflict in Yemen against girls and boys last year. According to the annual report of the Secretary-General of the United Nations on conflict-related sexual violence, issued on Thursday, the international organization "verified incidents of rape and other forms of sexual violence committed against six boys and five girls in Yemen between January and December 2024." The report added that women and girls in Yemen are at increased risk of conflict-related sexual violence, "which remains significantly underreported due to harmful social norms, fear of retaliation, and stigma." While the Secretary-General did not refer in his report to the parties responsible for these incidents, he clarified that "the Panel of Experts on Yemen reported that conflict-related sexual violence remains widespread in the country, with reports indicating that these acts are committed as a form of torture during detention against women, children, and men." The report stated that the summer camps organized annually by the Houthi group, which they use to indoctrinate children, witnessed last year "incidents of sexual violence, including rape of children, and there are also reports that the group encourages forced child marriage to ensure loyalty to its cause." The Secretary-General pointed out that reports recorded an increase in the rates of recruitment of girls by the so-called "Zaynabiyat," the women's security wing of the Houthi group, "who are often recruited by abduction, which leads to their alleged exploitation in domestic work and sexual violence." The report explained that the Houthis' arbitrary detention of employees of the United Nations, international and local non-governmental organizations, civil society organizations, and diplomatic missions last year led to the suspension of vital services provided to survivors of sexual violence in areas under the group's control in northern Yemen. It added that the group's continued imposition of restrictions on the movement of Yemeni female employees working in United Nations entities and international non-governmental organizations has "further hindered the provision of these services, and these challenges have been exacerbated by a lack of funding." The Secretary-General of the United Nations urged the parties to the conflict in Yemen "to allow unhindered access to detention facilities," calling on the Houthis to "immediately release arbitrarily detained civilians, including all United Nations and organization personnel," and called on the recognized government to "ensure the provision of specialized services to victims of sexual violence."
