Mounting Evidence of Houthi Involvement in Child Trafficking

Field investigations and human rights reports have revealed systematic involvement of security apparatuses affiliated with the Houthi militia in kidnapping and trafficking children in the Yemeni capital, Sanaa. Allegations suggest the children are smuggled for forced recruitment or organ harvesting, while victims’ families face extortion and deliberate stalling by security authorities.

Local and international human rights organizations have documented over 50 cases of child abductions, involving children aged 10 to 14, since January 2025. These cases are concentrated in the neighborhoods of Nuqum, Al-Huthaili, and Bayt Baws, with Sana’a and Ibb being the most affected areas. Notable cases include:

Muayad Al-Ahlasi (13 years old): Abducted in Nuqum on January 24 and recovered after an intense media campaign.

Abduljabbar Hadi (14 years old): Disappeared on February 2, with security agencies still refusing to disclose case details.

Amr Khaled (12 years old): Kidnapped near Al-Kumaym Mosque on February 12; preliminary investigations point to involvement of an organized network.

Security Collusion and Systematic Delays

According to testimony from a victim’s parent (who requested anonymity fearing retaliation), Houthi-linked police departments intentionally delayed investigations for weeks before demanding 100,000 Yemeni riyals (700 Saudi riyals) under the pretext of “investigation expenses.” The parent added: “I later discovered my son’s recovery was a staged act, as a security patrol handed him over under suspicious circumstances.”

Human Rights Warnings: Networks Under Official Cover

A high-ranking security official in Sanaa’s Interior Ministry (who declined to be named) told Khabar Agency that “trafficking networks operate under the supervision of influential figures within security agencies,” explaining that children undergo brainwashing for exploitation in begging or recruitment.

Human Rights Watch questioned the failure of Houthi intelligence to uncover these networks despite widespread surveillance cameras, noting that “many operations occur in plain sight of security forces.”

International Pressure and Houthi Silence

Despite mounting international pressure following the exposure of the case of “Saqr,” a child trafficked to Saudi Arabia for forced begging, the militia continues to withhold official statements. This silence fuels suspicions that trafficking revenues fund their military activities.

A UN report issued last February warned of Yemen becoming a hub for child trafficking, exacerbated by rampant poverty and the collapse of the healthcare system.