A new batch of ex-child soldiers, first recruited by the Iran-backed Houthi insurgency in Yemen, has successfully graduated from the Saudi-sponsored rehabilitation program. The King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center (KSRelief), responsible for the Child Soldiers Rehabilitation Program, celebrated the children’s restored hope for a normal life.
At the special ceremony, graduated children expressed their happiness and gratitude to KSRelief, saying that the 45-day program they underwent not only improved on their psychological and social recovery, but has ultimately shifted their reality from one tempered by misery and pain to a childhood hopeful of living normally.
At the end of the ceremony, KSRelief awarded the children certificates of appreciation and incentive awards.
The program’s 9th and 10th phases--aiming to rehabilitate 80 children in total-- succeeded in seeing 27 minors cross the finish line on a new life away from the violence Houthis attempted to instill in them in order to advance their war agenda.
In another note, KSRelief missions in Yemen’s Al-Jawf Governorate continued to organize the administrative and life skills courses for 100 families in Al-Hazem Directorate. Courses were designed to enable trainees in managing small-scale projects, practicing marketing skills, and preparing feasibility studies.
The courses are part of training programs and vocational rehabilitation projects undertaken by KSRelief in order to improve the livelihoods of Yemen
More so, KSRelief recently delivered 500 food baskets (37 tons) to cancer and kidney failure patients in Mukalla, in coordination with the Ministry of Public Health and Population’s Office in Hadramaut.
The Director General of the Office, Dr. Riyad Al Jariri, praised the role of KSRelief in providing humanitarian assistance to the people of Yemen, adding that the food aid will have a significant impact on alleviating the suffering of the patients and their families.