Yemeni Monitor/Middle East
A report by “Asharq Al-Awsat” newspaper has highlighted the alarming increase in child labor in the Yemeni capital, Sana’a, which is under the control of the Houthi group. Governmental bodies responsible for child welfare have ceased providing their services following the group’s takeover of the city and densely populated northern governorates.
The newspaper recounts the story of Taha Fouad, a schoolboy who has abandoned his studies. Unlike some of his peers who continue to attend school in the occupied capital, Fouad and many of his friends now spend their days engaged in various jobs and professions. They have no intention of returning to school.
Since last year, the 12-year-old Fouad has been selling bottled water to drivers at intersections and traffic lights in central Sana’a. Prior to that, he worked in a cafeteria , delivering food and beverage orders. He supports his mother and younger brother after the death of his father.
Fouad’s story is indicative of the widespread child labor in Sana’a, fueled by the deteriorating living conditions caused by the Houthi coup and the ongoing war. Families, particularly those who are displaced or have lost their breadwinners, are increasingly forced to rely on their children for income. The decline in aid from local, international, and humanitarian organizations, coupled with the absence of legal and social protection for children and a lack of support for their education, has exacerbated the problem.
Yemen is ranked first in the Arab world for child labor, with children commonly found working as street vendors, car washers, construction workers, mechanics, cleaners, and in agriculture. According to a report by the International Labour Organization three years ago, the rate of child labor in Yemen reached 13.6%, surpassing Sudan, Iraq, and Egypt.
Wahbi Alawan, a teacher whose salary has been withheld for nearly eight years, laments having to compete with children for jobs. While he struggles to provide for his own children, he finds himself competing with others who have been deprived of their childhood and lack life experience.
Alawan told “Asharq Al-Awsat” that children in Sana’a are now working in various sectors, especially in demanding and exhausting jobs. Employers prefer them over young adults and the elderly due to their willingness to accept low wages, their susceptibility to deception and punishment, and their blind obedience in the absence of legal protection, as the Houthi authorities exploit them.
Looting of Resources Fuels Child Labor Crisis in Yemen
According to UN reports and statistics, the percentage of working children aged 5-11 was 11%, rising to 28.5% for those aged 12-14 and 39.1% for those under 18. Estimates suggest that there are fewer than 8 million children aged 5-18 in Yemen.
Yemen’s child rights law prohibits child labor under the age of 14 and restricts hazardous work for older children. However, violations of this law were common even before the coup, according to lawyer Majid al-Sharabi, who noted that the necessary mechanisms to protect children under this law were lacking.
Al-Sharabi told Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper that the situation after the coup is incomparable to what came before. Child labor has become a forced practice for most families due to the harsh living conditions caused by the war. While local and international organizations previously focused on addressing the issue, they now primarily provide limited assistance to working children.
A lawyer who worked on child protection programs before the coup, who preferred to remain anonymous, noted that government agencies and organizations had previously worked to develop laws and provide comprehensive protection for children from various abuses. However, the current situation has shifted the focus to protecting children from the abuses of war and the absence of a functioning state.
According to the lawyer, government agencies responsible for child welfare have ceased providing services after the Houthi takeover. The Houthis, who are the primary culprits in recruiting and exploiting children, have looted funds and resources allocated for child protection. Meanwhile, international funding has ceased or significantly decreased, with the focus shifting to relief programs.
Funding Cuts Fuel Child Labor in Sana’a
Sana’a has emerged as the Yemeni city with the most pervasive child labor problem. Wherever one looks, they find children sacrificing their childhood to earn a living for their families, working in various professions. Displacement has exacerbated this issue, as the city has received an influx of internally displaced persons from conflict-ridden areas across the country.
Families, who initially believed their displacement to be temporary, have been forced to adapt to harsh living conditions by any means necessary, including child labor.
Amal Abdul Nour, an activist, says that local and international organizations are struggling to address child labor in Yemen, but the situation is particularly dire in Sana’a. Comprehensive statistics are difficult to gather, and it is nearly impossible to determine the exact numbers of working children or the specific types of work they are engaged in.
Abdul Nour, a former employee of several organizations, told Asharq Al-Awsat that despite their abundance, international and UN agencies are no longer giving child labor sufficient attention due to the complexity of the humanitarian situation in Yemen and the need to address the population’s numerous and growing needs.
Mohammed al-Adani, an activist with a relief organization in Sana’a, told Asharq Al-Awsat that the decline in international and UN organizations’ focus on this issue may be due to the fact that child labor reduces the need for their services. Additionally, child labor alleviates the pressure on organizations to meet the humanitarian needs of many families.
Al-Adani argues that many families now prefer their children to enter the workforce at an early age because they see little immediate benefit from education. At the same time, they believe that work can protect their children from being exploited by the Houthi group for indoctrination and recruitment into their ranks.
Two years ago, the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) attributed the rise in child labor to declining household income, limited livelihood alternatives, poor access to education, and weak enforcement of labor laws.
