Children of refugees: a story of conflict and smuggling

By Taghreed Abdul-Hamid Jawaher a 17-year-old Somali girl who was smuggled to Yemen by a group of traffickers 2 years ago, recalled her tragic ordeal when she told the Yemen Observer what horrors she was subjected to in her homeland. As Jawaher was witnessing the brutal murder of her mother by the hands of Ethiopian soldiers, she rushed to pick up her baby sister, hoping to save her from the hands of death. The gang then turned to her and raped her…she was only 10. Then the men went on killing her brother and father, indifferent to the little girl’s cries of terror. As Jawaher is telling her story, tears are streaming from her eyes, and her sobs are preventing her from going any further. Sadly, Jawaher is one of many refugee children who suffered from violence. The Department of Child Protection in Foundation of IDF organized for 3 days on November 29th, a training course with its implementation partner, the UNHCR under the slogan: together in order to reduce violence and trafficking of children. Khadrah Ali, officer of Child Protection in IDF who coordinated the training course said that the session aimed at training 40 children of both sexes, male and female within the age group of 10-17 years. “These children selected among 134 children refugees will benefit from the services of the IDF; as most were affected by either verbal physical or sexual abuse, whether at home or during their smuggling into Yemen”, she added. “The course was designed to highlight and promote awareness amongst the community of the risks that children are faced with in such situations.” Khadrah stressed that most children did not even realized that they had been smuggled. “Some gangs promise to give the children jobs then just take the little money they have to better leave to their fate, abandoned on the side of the road. Those course address the definition of violence, smuggling and identify to them what their rights are.” Samira Hadi, one of the course coaches, said that the interaction of the children was positive, as the course represented to them a chance to express what was going on inside of them. Hamza, a 13-year old Ethiopian child trainee, has been plagued by a series of incidents which shattered his innocence are now weighting heavy on his heart and soul. Subject to the fierce violence in his homeland, Hamza decided to flee Ethiopia for Yemen hoping that the boat which was carrying him would bring him to safer shores. While walking in al-Safia neighborhood in Sana’a, the capital he was attacked by 2 Yemeni boys who robbed him of his 10,000 YER which had just been given to him by the IDF to support himself and of his mobile phone. The boys also tried to sexually assault him but failed. Such treatments are not foreign to Hamza as for the past few months he has been subjected to verbal and physical abuse. Despite such hardship Hamza did not hesitate to express his happiness and enthusiasm for this session because it shed light on what he had been exposed to It made him realize that he had rights and that there was hope after all. Ali expected that the trainees in the end of the session would learn how to protect themselves from violence and realize what rights they had and who could ensure they were uphold. He further pointed out that a subsequent session would take place next year, aiming helping children to overcome the psychological effects caused by violence. The IDF doesn’t only provide financial assistance, health and rehabilitation for these children, it also offers them legal support. Ali stressed that in order to eradicate violence against children the state needed to play a much more visible role, promoting awareness with the Yemeni community.