The SEYAJ Organization for Childhood Protection reveals alarming and recent statistics on the escalation of violence, exploitation, and abuse against children in Yemen as a result of armed conflict, climate change, and other aggravating factors. For instance, field estimates by SEYAJ indicate that child marriage in rural areas has reached a shocking level of nearly 80% over the past five years. Millions of children have been subjected to recruitment in so-called “summer centers,” with disclosures by Houthi officials confirming that approximately 10,000 children have been forced into combat. This occurs within a collapsed protection environment that threatens more than 21.5 million boys and girls.
This paper outlines the practical experience of SEYAJ in implementing the "Protection Square" approach, which establishes an integrated framework for child safety by aligning the roles of families, local communities, educational institutions, and regulatory bodies. SEYAJ developed this model as a proactive strategy to strengthen protection mechanisms in high-risk environments.
