Human Rights Watch: In 2017, PYD has been recruiting 224 children

ARK News: Human Rights Watch found that militants from the Democratic Union Party (PYD) recruited 224 children in 2017.

Ain Isa displaced person camp, one of three camps in northeast Syria where Human Rights Watch found the Peoples’ Protection Units (YPG) have been recruiting children for military participation, June 2017.

In August, Human Rights Watch documented the recruitment of children by the SDF’s largest constituent, the People’s Protection Units (YPG), from three displacement camps in northeast Syria, including six girls who enlisted voluntarily but without permission from families. Families told us of their debilitating fear for their children, and few had any contact with their kids after they enlisted. “We just want to know if she’s alive or dead,” the mother of a 17-year-old girl recruit said.

A report by the United Nations Secretary-General found 224 cases of child recruitment by the YPG and its women’s unit in 2017, an almost fivefold increase from the previous year. If the order banning child recruitment is implemented, these children should be demobilized and reunited with families or transferred to civilian authorities who should protect them in cases where they are at risk of domestic abuse if returned to their family.

In Kurdistan of Syria since the beginning of the revolution and so far, the Popular Protection Units (YPG) have mobilized hundreds of Kurdish children and expelled them from their schools and education. Many of them were martyred in wars in the areas outside Kurdistan, Syria, and many families still do not know which Information about their children kidnapped by PYD.

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