From poverty to the center of the battlefield [Archives:2008/1167/Reportage]
By: Almigdad Mojalli
[email protected]
Despite the increasing dangers of the profession, many young men are joining the military for financial benefits, since poor rural-dwelling youths have few other job opportunities.
President Ali Abdullah Saleh announced during the 2008 Military Academy's graduation ceremony that the Yemeni military would recruit 50,000 new soldiers.
Young men from all around the country have signed up for the military, though it may cost them their lives. So far 12,000 new soldiers from the different governorates have been recruited, according to military sources.
The army camps encourage current soldiers to promote the vacancies and spread the word around. In response to this announcement, young Yemeni men join the army in what they think is an effort to defend their country's peace and stability, though might better be described as a last-ditch effort to make a living.
The Sa'ada war broke out in that governate in 2004 between the Houthi rebels and Yemeni armed forces. The war started in the Maran mountain range, then spread to cover many districts in Sa'ada governorate such as Haidan, Dhahian, Sufyan. Recently, the fighting spread to the Bani Hushaish district in Sana'a governorate. Most of the new recruits are sent directly to these places. During the past four years, Sa'ada governorate has witnessed wars in which hundreds of soldiers and Houthi rebels were killed.
The recruiting process
“Not anyone is accepted to join the army. We have strict measures and requirements for accepting candidates
