More and more children are fighting in Yemen's conflict

Extreme poverty, boredom, and peer pressure are some of the reasons why aid workers say that hundreds and possibly thousands of boys under 18 have joined groups fighting in Yemen's civil war.

Most of the young soldiers are between the ages of 13 and 16, and some observers estimate that boys under 18 make up one-third of the Houthi militia's 25,000 fighters, The Washington Post reports. Some join because they are following their friends or have nothing to do since the war has forced schools to shut down, but many are lured to join militant groups with promises of money, food, and other perks. Before fighting broke out, half the population in Yemen lived on $2 or less a day, and by joining these organizations, the boys can sometimes earn $100 a month. "Becoming a fighter is seen as a way to make money to survive for those children who come from vulnerable backgrounds," Julien Harneis, the Yemen representative for UNICEF, told the Post. "And this is happening in all groups, from the north to south, in every corner of the country."

Yemen is a tribal society where children historically have not been allowed to fight, and it is hard for parents like Abdullah Ali to see their teenagers battling next to insurgents. His 15-year-old son joined the Houthis, and he prays he returns home alive and not in a body bag. "He's just a child," he told the Post. "He's only in the ninth grade. He should be at school learning, not fighting."

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