A/HRC/42/CRP.1 831. The Group of Experts documented the case of a boy, aged 17, who went from alHawban, where he had been displaced early on during the war together with his family, to Ta’izz city, because he heard of the Yemeni armed forces recruiting and paying wages for boys and young men to join. He reportedly joined with some friends from the “Muhamasheen” community. He was immediately sent to fight, without training, to the borders of Saudi Arabia, to a location where intense fighting had been reported between Yemeni armed forces under operational command of Saudi Arabia, and Houthi fighters. He was killed four months later, in a landmine explosion. The young man was reportedly fighting with the Yemeni armed forces, under Saudi command. According to sources, his salary and that of soldiers joining that front were paid in Saudi Riyals, which created an incentive for young men to join. The Group of Experts further confirmed that the young man was recruited via “brokers” in Ta’izz city. 832. The Group of Experts also documented another case of a recruit from the “Muhamasheen” community in Ta’izz city, who voluntarily joined the Yemeni armed forces under operational command of Saudi Arabia, reportedly in a non-combatant role, also in return for economic incentives. The Group of Eminent Experts received reports of recruitment by the Saudis in various parts of Yemen, through local “brokers”, who were allegedly operating the recruitment and transfer of soldiers to the northern fronts. While voluntary in nature, reports gathered by the Group of Experts allege that these recruitments are specifically targeting vulnerable men and boys from poor families, including the “Muhamasheen”. One of the recruits interviewed by the Group of Experts spoke of the dire situation he and his family were in, as a result of the conflict. “There was no other way”, he said. 3. Situation of Migrants and Refugees 833. Despite the breadth of conflict that has been ravaging the country for four years and causing millions of people to be displaced within the country, Yemen remained a destination for migrants, mainly Ethiopians, thousands of whom made a dangerous trek across the sea from the Horn of Africa every month. These migrants arrived mainly on Yemen’s southern shores, with most attempting to reach Saudi Arabia, seeking employment opportunities and escaping political instability in their own countries.1347 834. In 2019, there was reportedly a sharp increase in the numbers of migrants arriving in Yemen.1348 According to IOM, 10,045 migrants entered Yemen in June alone, including 2,003 women, 723 boys and 348 girls. The vast majority were Ethiopians, with a small number of Somalis (977 in total). New arrivals of Nigerians into Yemen were also reported in 2019. With these figures, the number of migrants reaching Yemen from January to June 2019 was estimated at around 84,378,1349 a massive influx, unabated by conflict or the reported detentions of migrants throughout the country. 835. The Group of Experts looked into the situation of migrants in Yemen, due to their accrued vulnerabilities and to understand the impact of the conflict on those who are stranded in Yemen and who reportedly suffer from a lack of access to various services, mainly protection-related.1350 Migrants who are driven by the desire to reach Saudi Arabia often make a near-impossible crossing overland through Yemen, from the far south to the north, going through a number of territories under the control of various armed groups, and hence increasing the risks to their protection1351 along the route. The Group of Experts gathered accounts of migrants stranded in Mareb, Ta’izz and Hajjah1352. Reports1353 suggest Mixed Migration Centre, East Africa & Yemen, “Quarterly Mixed Migration Update”, Quarter22019. 1348 Ibid. 1349 IOM, “Flow Monitoring Points: Migrant Arrivals and Yemen Returns from Saudi Arabia in June 2019”, available at https://reliefweb.int/sites/reliefweb.int/files/resources/YEMigrants_FMR_June%202019_Dashboard.pdf. 1350 Confidential Sources on File. 1351 Confidential Sources on File. 1352 Confidential Sources on File. 1353 Confidential Sources on File. 1347 200