Dialogue Session Discusses Child Abductions in Yemen: Legal Framework and Possible Solutions
Yemen Children Platform participated in a dialogue session organized by Niswan Voice Platform on Wednesday via the Zoom video conferencing platform, titled “Child Abductions in Yemen: Legal Framework and Possible Solutions”, with the participation of a group of legal experts and stakeholders concerned with child rights.
The session was moderated by journalist Aya Khaled, who specializes in child-related issues. The discussion covered three main themes. The first focused on the legal characterization of child abduction, presented by Sabah Rajeh, Acting Head of the Yemeni Women’s Union – Taiz Branch. In her intervention, she reviewed relevant Yemeni legislation related to child rights and the obligation to protect children, emphasizing the importance of activating national laws and international conventions to safeguard children from abduction and exploitation, and to hold perpetrators accountable in accordance with legal standards. She also highlighted shortcomings in implementation and response in some areas.
The second theme addressed the role of conflict in the spread of the phenomenon. Bothaina Al-Qurashi, Head of the SAM Foundation for Childhood and Development, explained that the absence of state institutions, weak community awareness, and families’ preoccupation with securing daily livelihoods have significantly contributed to the increase in child abduction cases. Meanwhile, Ahmed Al-Qurashi, Head of the Seyaj Organization for Child Protection, discussed several social practices and phenomena that hinder effective responses and solutions, stressing the need for collective societal and official efforts to curb the spread of these crimes.
Participants expressed growing concern over the escalation of child abductions in several areas due to weak monitoring and the negligence of some authorities in addressing such crimes, exposing children to heightened risks of exploitation and harm.
The session concluded with a set of proposed solutions and recommendations, strengthening child protection mechanisms within national legislation and linking them to international mechanisms, implementing community awareness campaigns on child rights and how to respond to cases of disappearance, and enhancing coordination between civil society organizations and security and judicial authorities to ensure effective monitoring and rapid response to abduction cases.
