PALMYRA, Syria (North Press) – Despite Narjes al-Omar, a resident from Palmyra, in the central Syrian Desert, refused to allow her 16-year-old child to join the ranks of the pro-Syrian government National Defense Forces (NDF), the money, which the family needs the most, attracted the child to join them.
The mother said that her son, Yassin, has searched for a job in order to support his family after his father’s death.
The NDF militants exploit the families’ condition in the Syrian Badia in order to recruit their children within their ranks by attracting them with money and food baskets.
Recruiting and using minors in the armed forces or in hostilities is prohibited under international humanitarian law – treaty and custom according to the 2002 Convention on the Rights of the Child.
In June, the UN Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, included the “Syrian Army” on the blacklist of countries and groups violating the rights of children in conflict areas.
Last year, the annual report of the UN Secretary-General on children and armed conflict, monitored 2,388 grave violations of the rights of children in Syria, including 813 children who were recruited into the war during 2020.
The most common violations were the recruitment and use of children in hostilities, then killing, maiming, raping, and after that, being deprived of humanitarian aid access, according to the report.
Imposed reality
Narjes says that she is not the only one to suffer, but there are dozens of mothers who are suffering in Palmyra as a result of having their children recruited in military forces.
Despite the deteriorating living conditions and temptations offered by these factions, parents refuse to recruit their minors “Fearing that their children’s hands are stained with blood,” according to Narjes.
However, parents prefer that their children return to schools and complete their education rather than being involved in other jobs.
Umm Yassin would have preferred that her son works in civil jobs but their poor living conditions forced her to accept the imposed reality.
The mother fears that her son, who is still a child, will be involved in battles against ISIS in the area and having his hands stained with blood.
Ibrahim al-Abed (pseudonym), a resident of Palmyra, said that four months ago, the NDF militants convinced his 15-year-old brother to join their ranks “by attracting him with money and power that he will obtain if he joins their ranks.”
When al-Abed tried to convince his brother to abandon the National Defense in order to complete his education, the minor brother threatened to throw his brother in a prison.
The minor brother spends most of his time and his leaves with the National Defense militants in Palmyra and sometimes in Damascus, according to al-Abed.
Temptation and intimidation
In addition to attracting minors with money, they are told that joining the National Defense ranks will be deducted from their compulsory service period and that they will serve in Palmyra and will not be send to frontlines and combing operations outside the city.
As for the brother of Nour al-Nasser (pseudonym), a girl residing in Palmyra, he joined the National Defense after closing the fuel stall, where he used to work.
They convinced her brother to join their ranks by offering him a monthly 120,000 Syrian pounds (SYP) and providing monthly food aid to his family, according to Nour.
Moreover, Syrian government distributes part of the UN humanitarian aid to local security militants and committees affiliated with it.
Aiming at returning her 15-year-old brother back to home, al-Nasser visited the National Defense headquarters in the city, but the militants there refused her demand and kicked her out from the headquarters.