Cluster Munition means a conventional munition that is designed to disperse or release
explosive submunitions each weighing less than 20 kilograms, and includes those explosive
submunitions. Cluster Munitions have the unique and deadly characteristics. First, each Cluster
Munition contains tens or event hundreds submunitions which will break and spread out on the
surface of the ground. Second, each unexploded submunition will turn become landmine which
always active as a weapon and can be exploded by the presence, proximity, or contact of a person
or a vehicle, anytime. Third, submunitions are designed with interested form resemble the objects
of toys. The remnants of cluster munitions use will cause long-term harm such as pollute and
contaminate the ex area of hostilities widely, chemical radiation on genetics, and a safety threat to
civilian after the end of armed conflict, especially children.
The problem of this thesis is how the protection for children from the attack of cluster
munitions against the Houthi Group in Yemen by a Coalition of Saudi Arabia in terms of
International Humanitarian Law. The research method used in this thesis is a normative legal
research that focused on the positive legal norms in the form of instruments-instruments
international humanitarian law governing the children protection in the armed conflict situation by
doing comparative analysis. Data collection techniques in this thesis are using interview and
literature study. The conclusions are obtained by using deductive procedure.
The results of the legal research shows Coalition of Saudi Arabia was proven using various
cluster munitions as weapons in that Yemen’s armed conflict which overset the International
Humanitarian Law. The use of cluster munitions in the military attack that conducted by a
Coalition of Saudi Arabia against the Houthi group also brings bad impacts for children in Yemen.
Thousands of children have become the victims of both injured, sick, or died during armed conflicts
and after the attacks took place during the last eighteen months because of a cluster munitions
explosion. According to the International Humanitarian Law, cluster munitions were also banned
for violating the military necessity and humanity principle. Therefore, children need to get
guarantees of international protection either on the current situation even though postwar ends
thoroughly and continuously.