It obliges governments and armed groups to demobilize children in their forces and provide assistance for their physical and psychological recovery and social reintegration, which can include access to education and psychosocial – mental health – support. Saudi Arabia and the US, who are parties to the conflict, are also parties to the protocol, which calls on states parties to cooperate in carrying it out, preventing unlawful activity, and rehabilitating and reintegrating child soldiers.

All US military aid to Yemen was suspended in 2015, but President Barack Obama gave Secretary of State John Kerry authority to restart aid that would otherwise be prohibited by the US Child Soldiers Prevention Act. The act prohibits several categories of US military assistance to governments that use children in armed conflict or support paramilitaries or militias that use child soldiers.

The parties to the conflict in Yemen could send a message that they want to do what’s right by releasing captured children before Ramadan and implementing long-broken promises to end the use of child soldiers,” Van Esveld said.

Human Rights Watch Urgently Needs Your Donations. to donate.