US says Iran-backed Houthis profit from trafficking, recruit child soldiers

 

Human trafficking remains a lucrative part of Yemen’s war economy that “greatly benefits” the Iran-backed Houthis, who also recruit children and exploit migration routes for financial gain, the US State Department said in its 2026 Trafficking in Persons report.

The report designated Yemen a “Special Case” for the 11th consecutive year, citing the war, humanitarian crisis and limited government control. It also said Yemeni armed forces and government-supported groups have been implicated in recruiting and using child soldiers.

The report said Houthi-run “summer camps” are used to recruit children and estimated that about 400,000 Yemeni youths may have attended the camps in 2024.

Children have been recruited through coercion, abduction, threats and financial incentives and used in combat roles including guarding checkpoints, laying landmines and driving military vehicles, according to the report.

https://www.iranintl.com/en/202610095708