Houthi militias are resorting to all possible means to recruit militants, whether young or old, for a mere $70 a month to remain engaged in their sectarian war that glorifies their leader.
There are dozens of heart breaking stories told by taxi drivers or people in public places describing the insane Houthi rule that contradicts ethics and traditions of the Yemeni society.
Asharq Al-Awsat spoke to a group of residents, who all preferred to remain anonymous, in several areas of Yemen about the situation and Houthi rule.
In Hajjah governorate, Mohammed H., a 42-year-old taxi driver, indicated that almost every family in the city has lost a member or two while fighting for the Houthis.
When asked about the number of deceased, Mohammed stated that he can’t give the toll, but assured that at least seven people have been killed from each of the villages of Ezlat Bani Moheb in Hajjah.
"The group exploited the unemployment rate among young people and initially pushed them to enroll in its sectarian teachings, hiding them in unknown places for periods ranging from one to two weeks," he said, adding that they are brainwashed.
Mohammed preferred to flee from his region to Sanaa, fearing that his eldest son would be recruited. He explained that he won’t bare seeing his son in a body bag, and that is why he found him a job in a grocery store in one of Sanaa’s suburbs.
In al-Shahl district, Hajjah province, the death toll is much higher, according to Salim Sh.
Since the Houthi group launched its war, several citizens of Shahl were killed.
Salim's brother was killed in the Midi front two years ago, followed by his other brother, just a month after joining a camp in Abs region. His third brother is alive, but Salim says he could face the same fate at any moment.
Salim indicates that his third brother refused to obey his mother's wishes and insisted on joining the group. He explains how he was given sectarian lessons after being recruited by the group.
Since the beginning of the coup, Shahl district has established three new grave yards to fit the 2,000 people killed during the clashes, according to Salim.
In Manakha, west of Sanaa, one of the region's dignitaries told Asharq al-Awsat that more than 5,000 people have fallen in the ranks of the group since the beginning of the coup.
Mohammed N, a retired judge, believes that illiteracy, poverty, and unemployment, are the main reasons that allowed the Houthi group to control the minds of many young men and adolescents.
Mohammed confirms that the group pays about 30,000 Yemeni riyals to fighters in its ranks, which is less than 70 dollars. It also pays the same amount to the family of the deceased, through its affiliated "Martyrs’ Foundation".
Many of those involved in the group have dropped out in shock or after discovering the illicit gains of Houthi leaders or their real motives.
S.W. is one of the fighters who left the group. He withdrew from Nahm front and remained home after that for three months, fearing the group’s Preventive Security Forces would arrest him and force him to hand over his weapon.
Earlier this year, the Houthi group received more than 10,000 school graduates in Sanaa and other provinces. The group deluded the young men that it will enroll them in the military and security faculties under its jurisdiction, according to security and military sources. However, the insurgents only granted the graduates three months before pushing them to the front lines, asserted the sources.
There are different recruitment stories that have one thing in common, a tragic ending.
