Yemeni activists launched a social media campaign Friday to confront the abduction of children in Sana’a and other Yemeni cities.

The abduction of children, especially of girls, has increased significantly in Houthi-controlled areas. The abductions are particularly widespread in the governorates of Sana’a and Dhamar, which has recorded five cases involving girls and seven cases involving boys in recent months, according to Almasdar Online’s correspondent there. 

Activists involved in the campaign circulated the picture of one young kidnapping victim named Samia Al-Aslami on social media. Samia was abducted last Friday evening near her family's home in Sana'a and is still missing.  

Most parents whose daughters are kidnapped are discreet about it in order to avoid what they believe to be a disgrace in tribal custom, adding to the challenges of finding them.

Sources close to the matter in Sana'a told Almasdar Online that there have been several cases in which teenage girls have been abducted by Houthi security forces on moral charges and were later found in Houthi prisons. Other sources in Dhamar City said there are cases in which families later discovered their abducted daughters were recruited into Houthi women's militias. 

Activists leading the campaign are urging people to participate by using the following hashtags: 

#عوده_محمد_ادم

#اليمن_والاختطافات

#اعيدوا_ابنتي

#kidnappinginYemen