Amid Conflict and Poverty: Various Factors Drive Yemeni Children Toward Crime

Yasmine Abdulhafeez – Sawt Al-Amal (Voice of Hope)

In the heart of a working-class neighborhood in Al-Hodeidah Governorate, a 15-year-old boy falls victim to the streets and family breakdown, and today he stands before the judiciary on charges of theft. This is the story of Muhammad Ahmad (a pseudonym), which reveals the tragedy of street children in the city and how harsh circumstances push them to commit crimes.

After Muhammad’s parents separated more than seven years ago, he moved in with his mother in mid-2023 in one of Al-Hodeidah’s working-class neighborhoods, but he soon left her home and moved in with one of his relatives. There, he met a group of children and integrated with them.

Late one night, a mother was startled by a child sneaking into her room, trying to steal the television and mobile phone. When she screamed, she managed to catch him in the living room. One of her sons tried to question him about how he entered the house and who helped him, but the child seemed confused and scared. He couldn’t provide any useful information except to point to one of the windows and mumble vague phrases about people who helped him. He began to tremble and cry so hard that he could not provide any details that would help apprehend his accomplices. The family had no choice but to hand the child over to the nearest police station to do their duty.

According to his relatives, the child has lived a troubled life since childhood. He witnessed constant disputes between his parents that ended in separation. Afterward, he began to move between his relatives, far from parental care. This led him to engage in undesirable behaviors, such as theft.

One of his relatives also confirmed that the child has a long history of theft and that his bad behavior began at an early age. The parents would exchange accusations about their responsibility for what he had become.

The harsh conditions experienced by many Yemeni children, including poverty, disease, and ongoing conflicts, have pushed them to commit crimes that are not commensurate with their age. Armed conflicts have robbed them of their childhood and turned their lives into a continuous nightmare of fear and deprivation. Instead of playing and learning, they find themselves facing significant challenges beyond their capabilities, pushing them to engage in deviant behaviors.

The spread of crime among children in Yemen is one of the most dangerous problems facing Yemeni society. Numerous intertwined factors contribute to this alarming phenomenon. Chief among these is armed conflicts, which acclimate children to violence as a means of resolving disputes, making them more susceptible to engaging in criminal activities. Furthermore, increased poverty compels children to seek illicit sources of income. Displacement, lack of job opportunities, and societal breakdown, encompassing weak country institutions and family disintegration, also play significant roles. Additionally, the absence of education, the spread of drugs, a lack of awareness of the law, and poor living conditions all contribute to this growing crisis.

Poverty and its Impact on Children

Poverty is one of the biggest problems that has plagued Yemeni society for a long time, and its severity has been compounded by the ongoing conflict in the country. This has prompted many humanitarian partners in Yemen to provide support and assistance to many Yemenis who are on the brink of famine.

A report by the United Nations Development Program in Yemen, published under the title “Roadmap to Recovery: Addressing Poverty in the Context of Yemen’s Ongoing Conflict,” in 2024, confirmed that most Yemenis suffer from poverty. The poverty rate exceeded 82% of Yemenis in 2021, and those living in extreme poverty reached 46%. About 70% of Yemenis suffer from deprivation. The report stated that Yemen ranks 138th in the global extreme poverty index

Poverty and severe deprivation in Yemen have pushed children in Yemen to commit many acts and crimes that threaten their future and the future of their country. They are the group most affected by the bitter reality that the country is going through, especially in recent years that have witnessed ongoing conflicts.

In this regard, academic Khalid Omar, a professor of media and social sciences, Sana’a University, says that poverty is a major problem that results in many social and economic problems, especially if there is no moral and educational immunity.

He adds in an interview with Voice of Hope newspaper: “Poverty in itself is not a defect, but it is a problem if it is associated with weak personalities in educational and moral construction. This pushes the poor to engage in parasitic behaviors at first, such as begging and marginal work that is equal to begging or close to it.”

He continues: “Indeed, poverty is an important factor that contributes to the likelihood of committing crimes, but it is not the only factor. Social, psychological, and economic factors play a crucial role in shaping the behavior of individuals. While some poor people may resort to crime due to despair and deprivation, others can overcome these difficult circumstances thanks to strong will and social support.”

He concludes: “A person gradually engages in illegal acts to meet his needs and expand his money-making. These acts may amount to theft, fraud, and immoral acts, whether by males or females. This is due to the weak religious, moral, and ethical constraints among some poor people, which makes them more willing to engage in illegal or immoral acts.”

The Absence of Law

Regarding the role of law in this matter, social worker Suad Al-Arhabi says about child labor, “The absence of the rule of law leads many people, especially children, to lose faith in justice. In the absence of a fair judiciary, individuals resort to taking the law into their own hands, which leads to the spread of violence and revenge. Children witness these practices and learn from them that violence is the best solution to problems, which puts them at risk and negatively affects their psychological and social development.”

She pointed out that many other factors, psychological or social, have led children in Yemen to engage in crime, which has become a phenomenon that disturbs the peace of society.

Speaking about the factors that push children in Yemen to commit crimes, she adds, “The lack of control over the content provided by many media outlets affects children’s thinking and orientations. For example, there are cartoon programs that convey negative and hostile ideas to children, supporting the idea of committing crimes.”

She stresses that the family, countries, and the communities surrounding the child must activate laws that protect children from engaging in crimes, in addition to intensifying awareness about protecting children from watching programs and playing games that hurt their thinking and behavior.

Violence and Abuse

Social worker Ruqayya Hamood Al-Dhabhani, who works in the field of mental health, believes that domestic violence is one of the most important factors that push children to commit crimes. This is reflected in the child becoming an abusive person, and family separation can contribute significantly to a child’s motivation to enter the world of crime.

She indicates that family neglect, bad companions, and unhealthy social upbringing, in general, are all factors that contribute to children committing many different crimes.

She adds, “The guardian may be by nature an abusive person, which reflects negatively on his children. Additionally, mental illnesses such as psychopathy can arise. This is a personality disorder where the person is manipulative, abusive, and lacks a sense of guilt. If they find any party that stands against society and tries to oppose the customs of society and laws, they may be drawn to it and become a partner in the abuse.”

Majid Sultan Saeed, a researcher in media sociology at the College of Media in University of Aden, says in an interview with the Voice of Hope newspaper, “The ongoing conflict has led to the destruction of infrastructure and exacerbated the poverty rate among the middle class, making children vulnerable to recruitment and exploitation by armed groups.”

He believes that difficult economic conditions have forced families to be preoccupied with their livelihood, leaving children vulnerable to delinquency or pushing them to send their children to engage in work that is not suitable for their age and physical and mental state to provide a decent life for them.

Saeed points out that family breakdown is one of the factors that push children to commit crimes. He explains that conflict and forced displacement have led to the disintegration of many families, leaving children without proper care or guidance. The destruction of schools and lack of access to education increase the likelihood of children engaging in crime.

He adds, “Psychological and social pressures also lead children into the world of crime, especially those who live in environments full of violence and conflict. They suffer from great psychological pressure, which may push them to act aggressively.”

He believes that the exploitation and abuse of children are factors that make many children commit crimes. The impact of the types of violence that children are exposed to pushes them to seek revenge on society with other crimes such as theft, murder, and rape, in addition to the spread of weapons and the ease of obtaining them.

Opinions of Experts and Specialists

Salwa Braik, advisor to the Ministry of Justice for Women and Children’s Affairs in Aden, says, “The absence of the family and its negative role in following up with their children and not monitoring them has made them run away to the streets and live in an environment that is not theirs. They learn and adopt unhealthy and inappropriate behaviors, and this can make them fall into crime, such as drug use, sale, and promotion, working with prostitution rings, and other immoral crimes.”

She stresses that the absence of the role of the mother and father has greatly contributed to their children becoming criminals and even becoming tools for carrying out future crimes. Therefore, it is necessary for the family to monitor and follow up with their children, know who they are with, where they go, and where they are if they are gone for long hours.  They should know the source of gifts and money if they return home with a sum or a toy. This monitoring is necessary.

Braik adds in her interview with Voice of Hope that it is necessary to intensify media awareness in society about the importance of maintaining proper upbringing for their children and warning them against falling into such crimes. This is because if a child lacks care, attention, and guidance, they become a victim and easy prey for exploitation by others.

She continues, “Community awareness in cultural forums and mosques about how to protect children from falling into crime is very important to prevent children from engaging in dangerous behaviors and acts.”

She believes that there must be awareness programs in schools and the distribution of brochures, clippings, pictures, and awareness films about the dangers that children face on the streets.  This should be in addition to raising awareness about not interacting with any stranger on the street and disclosing any fears they are exposed to.  Rehabilitation programs should be provided for children who have committed crimes to help them integrate into society.