Children make up a third of fighters in the armed groups in conflict-wracked Yemen, according to a UN official, who also issued a warning about malnutrition levels in the country. "We are seeing children in battle, at checkpoints and unfortunately among [those] killed and injured," Julien Harneis, Unicef's representative in Yemen, said during a stop in Geneva. He said staff of Unicef and its partners had estimated that around 30 per cent of fighters in the armed groups were minors. Unicef has confirmed that at least 77 children have been killed and 44 others injured since 26 March, and Harneis said the true toll was likely to be far higher. As the conflict has intensified, more and more children are being drawn into the battle. An exact figure of how many boys are fighting in Yemen's conflict is hard to come by. According to some estimates, boys younger than 18 form nearly a third of Al Houthi militant's force approximately 25,000 fighters. Most are aged between 12-17 years. The United Nations verified the recruitment of 106 children in 2013, some as young as six years of age. According to the UN, Salafists recruited 57 boys to fight against Al Houthis, while 32 children were seen manning Al Houthi checkpoints. The United Nations verified a significant increase from 2013 of recruitment and use of children, with a total of 156 boys recruited and used between the ages of 9 and 17. The majority (140) of cases were perpetrated by Al Houthi militants with a highly visible presence. The United Nations observed and documented armed children manning checkpoints, being present on armed vehicles and guarding buildings. Eleven boys between the ages of 16 and 17 were recruited and used by Islah-backed tribal militias aligned with the government or Salafists, all except two of them in the frontlines.
