Ali Ahmed Al-Awbali, 10, and his brother Khalid, 12, were playing with their friends near their home in Al-Aroosh in Khawlan district. An eight-member gang approached them and tempted them, saying their father had come back home. But their father hadn’t come back home. Instead, the group kidnapped the two boys.

The story of these two kidnapped brothers started when their uncle fell into a quarrel that led to his treacherous murder. Thus, their father insisted on following the perpetrators who killed his brother. He succeeded in obtaining orders from the court and imprisoned them. In retaliation, the relatives of the gang decided to abduct the two children.

Ahmed Al-Awbali, the father of Ali and Khalid, said he spent one full year pursuing the issue of his kidnapped children; the state was unable to help get his boys back.

Al-Awbali said that because of the commonplace insecurity, confrontations and disputes, particularly in Khawlan, kidnapping has become a common occurrence.

"Kidnappers resort to this method in order to pressure the opposite side to do what they desire," he said.

"I sent some people to make sure of the health situation of my kids,” he continued.

It was reported back that the boys were shackled with chains.

"I used to contact them stealthily. Once the abductors discovered that; they deprived me from being in touch with them."

Al-Awbali informed security in the district about the incident. He obtained mandatory orders to capture the kidnappers, yet security was not able to break into the area and catch them.

Al-Awbali said he is not convinced the government is capable of bringing his sons back home.

"I am certain that the state cannot enter Khawlan area with a military vehicle because of banditry and the common checkpoints spread among tribes, especially over the course of the current events Yemen is witnessing."

Al-Awbali called on all organizations and on the government to focus on dangers of this phenomenon of kidnapping so that it can stop happening.

"My children were denied peace and education last year. Now they have been deprived of their family."

Akram Al-Qubati, Al-Awbali's lawyer, said, "The case requires the intervention of the tribal solution because the insecurity in the area exposes security personnel to abduction as well once they intervene."

In Yemen, there are dozens of children who are exposed to kidnapping or have been kidnapped in the past.

Nada Al-Faqih from the Observation Unit head in Syaj (Fence) Organization for Protecting Children said, "Kidnapping cases in Yemen have largely spread. This Ramadan, five kidnapping cases were reported. Most of these cases took place in Khawlan and Sanhan."  

She said the reason for this phenomenon is revenge and domestic problems among the tribes. It is a means that leads to victimizing children.

Al-Faqih said that, though the government takes action in response to such an issue, abductions remain commonplace in rural areas and tribes.

She said there are other types of kidnappings in Yemen.

"There is human trafficking. Twelve children have been smuggled to Egypt in order to sell their organs. There is also a smuggling network in Yemen through which children are smuggled to Saudi Arabia for labor reasons, begging or sexual manipulation."