A/68/267 Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, the Syrian Arab Republic and Turkey (July) to assess firsthand the situation of children and to obtain commitments from parties to conflict to halt and prevent grave violations. Those missions were conducted jointly with UNICEF to further strengthen advocacy at the strategic and operational levels. 1. Yemen 34. The crisis that erupted in Yemen in 2011 has had grave consequences for children, with recruitment and use, killing and maiming and attacks against schools being the most salient violations. Although challenges remain, the transition in Yemen is offering a critical opportunity to enhance the protection of children affected by the armed conflict. During her visit in November 2012, the Special Representative secured progress towards ending the recruitment and use of children by the Yemeni armed forces. 35. Following meetings with President Abdrabuh Mansour Hadi Mansour, Prime Minister Mohamed Salem Mohamed Basendwah, General Ali Mohsen and other officials, President Hadi issued a statement prohibiting the recruitment and use of children by all elements of the country’s military and security forces. This constructive stance was further reinforced by the Government’s endorsement of the Paris Principles and the creation of an interministerial committee to develop and implement, together with the United Nations, time-bound measures to end the recruitment and use of children. As mentioned in paragraph 24, since the visit of the Special Representative, the commitment of the Yemeni authorities has translated into the adoption of a draft action plan by the ministers concerned and is awaiting Cabinet approval. 36. During that visit, the Special Representative also travelled to Sa’ada to meet with the leader of the Houthi armed group; the meeting opened avenues for the United Nations team on the ground to engage with Houthi on the issue of the recruitment and use of children. 37. This progress notwithstanding, dialogue has not yet fully translated into gains that alleviate the burden of Yemeni children affected by conflict. The preponderance of explosive weaponry, such as mines and unexploded remnants of war, and the use of drones continue to put children at risk. Alongside these overt dangers, the structural causes of poverty and lack of access to education and livelihoods must also be addressed to give children alternatives and prevent them from being recruited. It is hoped that the swift endorsement by the Cabinet of the draft action plan will assist the Yemeni authorities in their efforts to address grave violations against children. 2. Syrian Arab Republic 38. The Syrian Arab Republic remained an open wound in 2012 and throughout the first half of 2013, with children killed, maimed or trapped by the extensive use of explosive weapons in populated areas, displaced from their homes and recruited by the Free Syrian Army and other armed groups. Since the start of this conflict, children have been missing months if not years of schooling, witnessing the deaths of family members and the destruction of their homes. Children also continue to be denied humanitarian access and deprived of health care. 13-41862 7/18