S/2021/266 Security Council

I have the honour to enclose herewith a copy of the briefings provided by Mr. Martin Griffiths, Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for Yemen; Mr. Mark Lowcock, Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator; and Ms. Nirvana Shawky, CARE’s Regional Director for the Middle East and North Africa, as well as the statements delivered by the representatives of China, Estonia, France, India, Ireland, Kenya, Mexico, the Niger, Norway, the Russian Federation, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, the United States of America and Viet Nam in connection with the video-teleconference on “The situation in the Middle East (Yemen)” convened on Tuesday, 16 March 2021. A statement was also delivered by the representative of Yemen. In accordance with the procedure set out in the letter by the President of the Security Council addressed to Permanent Representatives of the members of the Council dated 7 May 2020 (S/2020/372), which was agreed in the light of the extraordinary circumstances caused by the coronavirus disease pandemic, these briefings and statements will be issued as a document of the Security Council.

Unfortunately, I am returning to the Security Council yet again to report a deterioration of the conflict in Yemen. This time, it is quite a dramatic deterioration. Ansar Allah’s offensive on Ma’rib governorate continues, putting civilians, including an estimated 1 million internally displaced persons, at risk. Fighting forces on both sides have suffered heavy losses. I see shocking reports of children increasingly getting drawn into the war effort and deprived of their future. Cross-border attacks also increased significantly in recent weeks. I am concerned by the intensification of missile and drone strikes, including ones that have targeted civilian and commercial infrastructure in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Subsequently, airstrikes took place within the confines of Sana’a city, endangering civilians there as well. We are also seeing other fronts in Yemen opening up, including with military escalations in Hajjah and Taiz. In Al-Hudaydah, there has been a troubling continuation of violence, causing civilian deaths and injuries, including women and children. I join Lieutenant General Guha, Head of the United Nations Mission to Support the Hodeidah Agreement (UNMHA), in condemning attacks that endanger civilians. UNMHA continues its efforts to reactivate the Redeployment Coordination Committee and its subsidiary joint mechanisms and to achieve a more balanced mission footprint across the territory of Al-Hudaydah. I encourage the parties to work constructively with the Mission to make progress in those regards. Even as the conflict intensifies, acute fuel shortages for civilians persist in Sana’a and the surrounding governorates. Fuel imports have not been permitted to enter Al-Hudaydah since January. This has contributed to the increase in the cost of basic commodities and put hospitals and services at risk. This is simply unacceptable on humanitarian grounds, and the United Nations has consistently drawn the attention of the Council to these issues. It is vital that obstacles to imports and domestic distribution of fuel for civilian use be removed. I call on the parties to prioritize civilian needs above all else and not to weaponize the economy. As a result, I call here on the Government of Yemen to urgently permit the entry of fuel ships to Al-Hudaydah. There should be no further delay. The revenues stemming from the fees and taxes of the oil ships should be exclusively used for the payment of the salaries of civil servants based on the 2014 payroll database. I hope the parties will engage constructively with United Nations efforts to find a sustainable solution to this critical humanitarian issue. The situation in Aden and the surrounding governorates remains difficult. It is encouraging that the new Cabinet continues to execute its functions from inside Yemen. This is good for State institutions and the overall prospects for peace in Yemen. But it is clear that improving basic services, including access to electricity, making sure that salaries will be paid to Government employees without further delay, ensuring security and stabilizing the economy will require more resources. Such resources are currently in short supply. It is not only Yemenis who are suffering in Yemen. The world was reminded of the plight of the migrant community last week when a horrific fire broke out at a detention facility in Sana’a holding predominantly Ethiopian migrants. Dozens were killed in the fire, and over 170 seriously injured. There must be an independent investigation into the cause of the fire. All people in Yemen, regardless of nationality, must be afforded protection and kept safe. Allow me to turn to the proposed way forward. There have been many reports and much public commentary of late on the efforts being made to bring an end to the fighting and to the need for the launch of the political process. I would like here to clarify for the Council my own appreciation of the situation. We are often, and rightly, reminded that Yemen is the world’s largest humanitarian disaster and that famine has now arrived to add to the tragedy of Yemen. In this connection, Mark Lowcock often reminds us of the link between the incidence of famine and the places where the war is hottest. So it has been incumbent upon the parties for a long time, and now more than ever, to agree to stop the fighting, to silence the guns. A nationwide ceasefire, along with opening Sana’a airport and ensuring the unhindered flow of fuel and other commodities into Yemen through the Al-Hudaydah ports, are urgent humanitarian imperatives. These measures will ease the impact of the conflict on civilians and facilitate Yemenis’ right to the freedom of movement. We must do all we can to allow Yemen to breathe. In addition to these humanitarian considerations, my particular task is to help the parties to end the conflict, and that can come about only through resolving their differences through negotiation. This is my focus, and this is why I include the resumption of an inclusive political process to the three humanitarian priorities listed above. Hence the urgent agenda of the United Nations for negotiations are four issues, three of them are humanitarian and one the launch of the much-delayed political process. I must, however, clarify that there can be no preconditions for resuming the political process. Resuming the process and engaging seriously in it is an obligation upon the warring parties. And they must engage constantly and seriously at all stages with the United Nations to make this happen. They owe it to the Yemeni people to provide hope that there is an end in sight to this conflict. I am alarmed that the mere fact of meeting across the table to discuss the contours of ending the war is being framed as a concession rather than an obligation. We have been pursuing this agenda with renewed vigour these past weeks. We are fortunate to work closely with key Member States on these issues, and their engagement gives us all more energy and a great deal more hope. I want to particularly thank you, Madam President, and your Government for your support in recent weeks and for the tireless efforts of your Special Envoy, Tim Lenderking. I wish that today I could bear glad tidings. But we are not there yet. We know what the Council wants. We know what the international community wants. We know what the people of Yemen want. An end to all this misery, to the lives thrown away for illusory military gains and to the tragedy of Yemen’s families desperate for that end and a way out of this misery. To them, to us all, we say those glad tidings cannot come a day too soon.

We and my colleagues in the leadership of the humanitarian system have been warning you for a long time now that Yemen is speeding towards a massive famine and that the main reason that things have got so much worse on the humanitarian side is because of the shortage of resources. As you know, on 1 March, the Secretary-General convened a pledging event for Yemen, co-hosted by Sweden and Switzerland. Several donors, including Canada, France, Germany and Japan, pledged more than ever at that event. I released another $40 million from the Central Emergency Response Fund, and the Yemen Humanitarian Fund just allocated $73 million. All together, the event on 1 March raised $1.7 billion. But that is less than half of what we need for this year’s response plan. It is nearly $1 billion less than we received in 2019. And it will mean that we will not reverse the protracted process of prolonged starvation that millions of people across Yemen have been subject to, ending in their death, especially for women and children, an experience I have described to you before. So what we had on 1 March was a down payment, and more efforts will be needed. Of course, money is not the only factor. I want to echo everything Martin Griffiths said about the Ansar Allah offensive in Ma’rib. Particularly, we are concerned about the 1 million people who already fled from other places to Ma’rib. There is additional displacement already as a result of the ongoing onslaught. It is, at the moment, at a relatively low level — about 15,000 people — as a result of the current battle. But what we are worried about is that, if the escalation continues, the numbers of people will mount exponentially. And, as Martin also said, hostilities in Ma’rib have also set off escalations elsewhere, notably in Taiz, Al-Hudaydah and Hajjah. I also want to echo everything Martin said about the plight of refugees, asylum seekers and migrants. I completely agree with everything he said to you about the devastating fire that ripped through an overcrowded migrant detention centre in Sana’a on 7 March. But we also saw, on 4 March, at least 20 people drown when human traffickers forced dozens of passengers to jump off a crowded boat bound for Yemen. And that was the third such drowning in six months. And, as Martin said, everybody in Yemen, wherever they originate from, is entitled to protection and support. And we urge all of the authorities across the country to reduce the hurdles that humanitarian agencies face in helping those people. Let me say a few words next on humanitarian access. The Government of Yemen has been working with us recently to address several ongoing concerns, all which I talked about before, on things like project approvals and other administrative constraints. They have also been working with us in a crucial way on preparing for a planned coronavirus disease vaccination campaign. We continue to face many obstacles in the north. Last year, as we told you previously, we did see important improvements on key issues such as assessments and biometric targeting. And that process needs to continue. I want to say a few words about the economic situation. Again, building on what Martin said, because the economic collapse is a major driver of the ongoing progress and expansion of the potentially huge famine. The economic collapse also fuels instability, by the way, as is evidenced by the recent protests which Martin referred. There are two straightforward things to do to mitigate the dire straits of Yemen’s economy. The first is to strengthen the currency, the Yemeni rial, which slipped again into an alarming depreciation in recent months, which means that more and more people can no longer afford food or other essential items. We know that, in the past, the provision of foreign exchange has stabilized the currency, and we know it can do it again. And I have discussed this in detail with the Prime Minister and others in the Government, and we know they want help in this area. And I do really urge Yemen’s partners to address this request with the seriousness and importance that it deserves. The other issue that needs to be addressed relates to the blockade of commercial imports, which Martin referred to, especially the decision by the Government of Yemen and others not to allow fuel into Al-Hudaydah. Fuel, as everybody knows and understands, is essential if you want to transport food, or pump water or keep hospitals open. Fuel prices have doubled or tripled in some areas as a result of the desperate shortages that there now are. And that, of course, is also pushing up prices of food and health care and everything else. We have, in fact, seen more reports of health facilities closing down in the last several weeks because they have run out of fuel. Now the Government has blocked all commercial fuel imports to Al-Hudaydah, through which more than half of Yemen’s fuel imports come. All of those imports have been blocked since January. And right now, there are 13 fuel ships waiting outside Al-Hudaydah, carrying enough supplies for about two months. On average, those ships have been waiting more than 80 days for Government clearance. All of them, by the way, have been inspected and cleared by the United Nations Verification and Inspection Mechanism. You are all familiar with the origins of this problem — the dispute between the Government and Ansar Allah over revenue. But the consequences of this, as always in Yemen, are not borne by those making the decisions. The consequences are borne by ordinary Yemenis. And this again contributes to the protractive process of prolonged starvation I described earlier. Let me, finally, reinforce what Martin said about the need for progress towards peace. And I again repeat that, in our view, the renewed United States commitment to a diplomatic solution and the United States focus on the humanitarian tragedy of Yemen does provide the best opportunity we have seen for years to resolve the conflict, get the parties to the table and find a way forward for the people in the country. And that is still true despite the recent escalation. But that opportunity needs to be taken. It will not be possible to take it if Yemen tips into a huge famine, so we have to stop the famine. But the parties need to engage in the peace process as well and, in order to do that, Ansar Allah has to stop the dangerous Ma’rib offensive. The fuel blockade on Al-Hudaydah needs to end, commercial goods must be let in and Yemen needs a nationwide ceasefire — not just in Ma’rib but across the country — and, to say it again, a return to the political process.

I am honoured to address the Security Council today on behalf of my organization, CARE, and the humanitarian community in Yemen. After the Second World War, CARE was established to help Europeans who were living in hunger and poverty. Today we are assisting people in Yemen suffering the same anguish — 16 million people are hungry, and four in five Yemenis live below the poverty line. CARE has been in Yemen for almost 30 years, since 1992, and last year we were fortunate to deliver humanitarian and development assistance to almost 3 million people in 14 governorates across the country. We have over 400 staff members, the vast majority of whom are Yemenis living and working close to the people they support. It is on their behalf that I have the privilege to speak to you today and share their perspectives from the ground. So what is the general mood in Yemen? My colleagues tell me, “We have heard countless times in the past six years about opportunities for peace in Yemen. We hear that, with sufficient will and effort from the international community, the war in Yemen can be ended”. However, despite moments like the signing of the Stockholm Agreement and the Riyadh agreement, this sense of optimism is not sustained. My Yemeni colleagues tell me that, every time they hear these speeches and statements, they feel hopeful. Every time, they think it means that the conflict is finally coming to an end. And then the attacks and fighting resume, the war enters a new year, new front lines are opened and the brutal reality swiftly replaces any fleeting hope. It is hard to imagine the toll this takes on people’s psychological well-being. As we enter the seventh year of the conflict, there are millions of Yemeni children and teenagers who struggle to remember life without insecurity and food shortages, and millions of parents are constantly suffering psychological trauma. In addition to the violence, funding cuts to the humanitarian response are taking an enormous toll on Yemenis. For our Yemeni colleagues, who often support more than 20 people in their extended families, these cuts are deeply unsettling and anxiety-provoking. They worry that more cuts will mean they can no longer provide the necessities to their families. I would like to take this opportunity to update you about the situation on the ground. Over the past few weeks, as fighting has intensified on the front lines in Ma’rib, the focus has rightly turned to the risks that face internally displaced people in camps and settlements scattered across the governorate and the country. Four million people have been displaced from all over the country since the beginning of the conflict, in 2015, and just under one third of displaced households are headed by women or girls. My colleagues working in governorates like Ma’rib and Hajjah, which see the highest numbers of internally displaced people, tell me that displaced women and girls suffer the most from a lack of privacy without substantial shelters or proper latrines, as well as threats to their safety and limited access to basic services, making them even more vulnerable to violence and abuse. They heard of one woman, a widow with three daughters — aged 14, 15 and 16 — who had fled from fighting in Taiz. They were living in a very basic shelter without doors or windows, leaving the girls extremely exposed and at risk of harassment. For this woman, the only way to protect her girls was to marry them to much older men. We all know that life is much harder if you are displaced even once — you lose your home, your community, possessions, livestock and identification documents. Imagine, then, having to flee for multiple times — two, three or even four times. You have nothing. You may manage only to carry around necessities like two or three kitchen items, some dirty bedding and precious family photographs. One man, Ali Nasser, told our field staff that he and his family fled from airstrikes in Medghal district to seek refuge in Ma’rib city last year. Ali Nasser’s wife told us, “We ran for our lives when fighting suddenly broke out in our area. I needed help because my son is mentally ill and has diabetes. We stayed in an empty cramped room for about a month. Then we came here to Ma’rib city and we ended up living on the sand.” Families’ coping mechanisms have become increasingly desperate over the past year, as the impacts of funding cuts, the blockade and a lack of remittances take their toll on food prices and their ability to buy food. As Mr. Lowcock has told the Council, people are already dying of acute malnutrition in parts of Yemen. The latest data show that 2.25 million children and over 1 million pregnant women and new mothers are severely malnourished and at risk of starvation. Take, for example, the story of Samer, a new-born baby in Al-Hudaydah. His mother, who could not breastfeed him because she was malnourished herself, had to use poor-quality baby formula, which meant Samer suffering from severe acute malnutrition as well. Luckily, he is receiving treatment, which means he will live to see his next birthday. But there are thousands of Yemeni children who do not share his luck. As these stories show you, we see how women and children suffer the most — from higher levels of malnutrition, less access to food and health care and increased exposure to gender-based violence. This is why it is crucial to equip women and young people with skills to enable them to earn an income and lead safe, secure and dignified lives. This is where CARE tries to support. Another point to bring to your attention is the state of Yemen’s economy. Before the current conflict, Yemen was exporting oil and gas, which generated enough revenue for the country. But since 2015 those exports have reduced to a trickle. Large oil and gas companies have not resumed their activities, even in areas without active conflict If they were to resume, it would help to stabilize the economy. It would also provide fuel for electricity power stations and enable civil servant salaries to be paid. All of this would help to lower the price of food and essential needs in Yemen. It is impossible to imagine any kind of future for Yemen without stressing the need to support and strengthen the economy. The conflict has left communities to face increasing health risks, often aggravated by a lack of money to buy medicine or travel to clinics, as well as the simple but deadly threat of poor water and sanitation services. One of our staff in Hajjah told me, for example, that people depend on rainwater ponds as their only source of water for drinking, cleaning and washing. She said that usually the ponds are full of rubbish and worms and can cause serious illnesses, including cholera and typhoid, which already malnourished people do not have the immune systems to fight. But they have no other choice. Last year the humanitarian community implemented effective coronavirus (COVID-19)disease prevention programming, but with a second wave of COVID-19 on the horizon, people are worried that the meagre health facilities will be overwhelmed. Given my remarks today, you will not be surprised to hear that I support the recommendations just outlined by Mr. Griffiths and Mr. Lowcock. On behalf of my Yemeni colleagues, my request to the Council is to please remember that the needs of the Yemeni people are simple. They want to be able to go to the market with enough money to buy food. They want to be able to educate their children instead of sending them to work, or to fight or to beg, or having to marry them off. For this we urge the Council to address the following three pressing priorities. First, the Council should address economic stabilization and recovery as a fundamental and urgent priority, to allow Yemenis to escape the cycle of poverty and to live with the choices and dignity that we take for granted elsewhere. Secondly, the humanitarian response, which as you all know is the lifeline for millions of people, must be fully funded. As Mr. Lowcock just explained, the more- than $2 billion funding gap must be filled. While improving humanitarian access is an absolute necessity, which Security Council members must endeavour to assist us with, we must always prioritize the needs of those who have no alternatives to humanitarian aid for survival. Thirdly, as a matter of urgency, the Security Council should exercise its responsibility to end this dreadful conflict once and for all and support Yemenis to regain peace, stability and prosperity. The hopes of Yemenis are universal; they are not asking for anything beyond what most of us take for granted. But their futures are all contingent on the conflict ending. Yemeni people live on the hope that life will be better one day. This is what keeps everyone going and helps them to support each other as communities and families. Please help to provide some light to the Yemeni people, who have been living in the darkness of this conflict for far too long. They are depending on you all.

I would like to thank Special Envoy Griffiths, Under-Secretary-General Lowcock and Ms. Shawky for their briefings. Their briefings show us that Yemen still faces complex and grave political security and humanitarian challenges. The international community should strengthen unity and pull together for an early and comprehensive solution to the Yemen issue. First, military clashes and all hostilities must be immediately stopped. The protracted conflict in Yemen has caused huge losses for all parties and untold suffering for its people. Facts have repeatedly proven that military means cannot resolve the problem. Instead, war can lead only to disasters. Since last year, the United Nations has vigorously striven for the implementation of the global ceasefire initiative. Launching military offensives and provoking hostilities now are the most unconscionable things to do. China expresses its concern over the escalation in the clashes in Ma’rib, condemns attacks against Saudi civilians and civilian infrastructure and calls for the immediate cessation of hostilities and violence, so as to create the necessary conditions for a political settlement of the Yemen issue. Secondly, political commitments should be honoured and political negotiations advanced. Despite difficulties and setbacks, there should be no deviation from the pursuit of a political settlement to the Yemen issue. Parties to the conflict should break free of the vicious cycle of going back and forth between the battlefield and the negotiating table. They should implement past agreements, build mutual trust and make new gains. Special Envoy Griffiths has proposed a way forward to advance the political process. We hope that the parties can collaborate with his mediation efforts and participate in consultations with the utmost political sincerity so as to reach early consensus. Thirdly, everything must be done to mitigate the humanitarian crisis and save lives. Under-Secretary-General Lowcock elaborated on the dire humanitarian situation in Yemen. The mounting food security crisis is heartbreaking. China welcomes the Yemen virtual high-level pledging event organized early this month and hopes that the international community can build on the momentum, step up assistance to Yemen and fully fund the Yemen humanitarian response plan. China welcomes the Secretary-General’s announcement of the creation of a high-level task force on preventing famine. I look forward to seeing it play an important role in mobilizing global resources and strengthening coordination among humanitarian agencies. Yemen highly relies on imports for its food security. Parties should ensure operations at commercial ports. Parties with actual control inside Yemen should comply with international humanitarian law and provide safe and unimpeded humanitarian access so as to create conditions for the protection of civilians, in particular women, children and other vulnerable groups. On the matter of the FSO SAFER oil tanker, China urges the Houthis to expeditiously grant access to the United Nations technical team for inspection and repairs so as to prevent a catastrophic accident. Fourthly, regional security cooperation should be strengthened to help ease the tension. Resolving the Yemen issue requires a favourable regional security environment. China has proposed an initiative for a multilateral dialogue platform in the Gulf region. Other countries have put forward similar ideas. China hopes that those ideas can be put into practice through joint efforts so as to promote a regional peace process. We hope that, on the premise of respecting Yemen’s sovereignty, independence, unity and territorial integrity, relevant countries can utilize their advantages to positively influence the parties in Yemen so as to contribute to a political settlement of the Yemen issue.

I thank Special Envoy Griffiths, Under-Secretary-General Lowcock and Ms. Shawky for their briefings. The continuation of the military escalation is extremely worrisome. Considering the unprecedented scale of the humanitarian crisis it causes, there can be no justification for increased hostilities. We reiterate our call to the Houthis to immediately cease the assault on Ma’rib, which is putting 2 million civilians in danger, as well as to cease the cross-border attacks on the territory of Saudi Arabia. We also remind all parties to the conflict to respect their obligations under international humanitarian law and international human rights law and refrain from indiscriminate attacks against civilians. Only an inclusive political solution can end the conflict. We welcome the diplomatic engagement by the United States and urge all parties to seize the shift in dynamics, engage with Special Envoy Griffiths and agree on a ceasefire and confidence-building measures without delay. The deadly fire at the overcrowded migrant holding centre in Sana’a on 7 March was a grim reminder of the many dangers migrants face in Yemen. The fire claimed at least eight lives and injured at least 170 people, with some now in critical condition. We call for urgent humanitarian access to the injured and for an international investigation to determine the cause of the incident. We welcome the recent renewal of the Yemen sanctions regime and the mandate of the Panel of Experts. We consider it important that the resolution underlines the need for accountability for violations of international humanitarian law as well as violations and abuses of human rights. The designation of an individual based on their actions related to systematic detention, torture and sexual violence against politically active women is also significant. We call for full, equal and meaningful participation of women in the political process and regret the absence of women from the recently formed Government of Yemen. We reiterate our continued deep concern about the humanitarian situation, especially the rising food insecurity. A holistic, long-term solution is needed in order to truly help this country. That includes unhindered humanitarian access, stepping up humanitarian assistance, strengthening Yemen’s economy and finding a long- term solution to the import of fuel and commercial items. Finally, we reiterate our call upon the Houthi authorities to ensure immediate and full access to the FSO SAFER oil tanker for the United Nations team, as any further delays may cause a humanitarian and environmental catastrophe.

I thank Special Envoy Martin Griffiths and Mark Lowcock for their briefings. I would like to reiterate our full support for their efforts. I also thank Nirvana Shawky for her poignant testimony, and I would like to commend all humanitarian workers for their remarkable work in Yemen. A window of opportunity has been opened to finally put an end to the war in Yemen. The Houthis must stop refusing peace and seize this opportunity. They must immediately renounce the attack on Ma’rib. We condemn that offensive, which would be a humanitarian disaster for more than 1 million displaced people. It would brutally undermine the political process. The escalation in Al-Hudaydah and Taiz must also cease. We also call on the Houthis to immediately stop attacks against Saudi territory. Those attacks threaten the stability of the region and we condemn them in the strongest terms. We call on the Houthis to allow access to the FSO SAFER oil tanker, immediately and without preconditions, in order to avoid an ecological disaster, for which they would bear full responsibility. We condemned the attack of 30 December in Aden against the Yemeni Government. In that regard, the evidence provided by the Panel of Experts on Yemen since then is extremely worrying. The Council must follow up on that. We have said it so many times: there is no military solution in Yemen. We therefore call on the parties to agree to an immediate ceasefire throughout Yemen, in line with the Special Envoy’s proposal, the Secretary-General’s call and resolution 2532 (2020). The parties must engage in good faith in political discussions with the Special Envoy. They must take confidence-building measures and find a lasting and inclusive political solution that respects the territorial integrity of Yemen. The voices of Yemeni youth, such as that of Omer Badokhon in November (see S/2020/1109), and of women, such as that of Rasha Jarhum on 8 March, were heard by the Council. They must also be heard by the Yemeni parties. The parties should also implement the conclusions of the Working Group on Children and Armed Conflict (S/AC.51/2020/1). We call on States that have an influence over the parties to exercise that influence so that they commit to peace without delay. On the humanitarian front, the risk of large-scale famine increases every day. We have a collective responsibility and a moral obligation to avoid such a tragedy. That includes the full funding of the humanitarian response plan. France has increased its contribution in comparison to last year. We announced at least €11 million at the donors’ conference. That also means guaranteeing full humanitarian access to all those who need it. Respect for international humanitarian law is non-negotiable. I am also thinking of the protection of civilians, including humanitarian and medical workers, which must remain an absolute imperative. The Council can count on France’s unfailing and continuous commitment.

I would like to thank the briefers for their updates on the situation in Yemen. We are concerned by the recent escalation in hostilities in several parts of Yemen, especially in Ma’rib. The reports of military confrontations in Taiz, Al- Jawf and Sana’a governorates are also deeply concerning. The confrontations have resulted in several casualties, extensive destruction and the renewed displacement of civilians. We deeply regret the loss of valuable human lives, including in the fire accident at the immigration holding facility in Sana’a, and convey our heartfelt sympathies to the families of those affected. The current escalation will also provide opportunities for terrorist groups, such as Al-Qaida and the Islamic State, to spread their presence in Yemen, which is worrisome. We condemn the drone and missile attacks launched by Ansar Allah into Saudi Arabia and the deliberate targeting of civilian and energy infrastructure in the country. We call upon all parties to the conflict to eschew violence and to take meaningful steps towards dialogue and negotiations for a political settlement. Two years ago, when Yemen was faced with a perilous situation in Al- Hudaydah, the international community acted swiftly and decisively, which resulted in the signing of the Stockholm Agreement and averted a humanitarian catastrophe. A similar focused diplomatic push is now required, not only to stop the battle for Ma’rib but also conflicts elsewhere in the country. The already dire humanitarian situation in Yemen requires the full attention of the international community. We welcome the efforts by the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, Sweden and Switzerland to host the high- level pledging event for the humanitarian crisis in Yemen. The outcome may be disappointing, but the continued pledges from Yemen’s regional partners to support humanitarian and aid operations in the country and the enhanced contribution of some donor countries give reasons for hope. India stands ready to continue its assistance to the people of Yemen. We will continue to facilitate the medical treatment of people of Yemen travelling to India. We are disappointed that recent talks on the exchange of prisoners and detainees ended without any agreement between the parties. We hope to see the resumption of talks in the near future. We appreciate the United Nations engagement with Ansar Allah on the FSO SAFER oil tanker issue. All pending issues related to logistical and security arrangements must be resolved urgently, and the United Nations technical team will get access to inspect the vessel soon. Let me also add my voice of support to the contribution made by the women of Yemen to peace efforts in the country. The promises made in the National Dialogue Conference outcomes and enshrined in Yemen’s National Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security must be fulfilled. In conclusion, let me reaffirm India’s strong commitment to Yemen’s unity, sovereignty and territorial integrity. India has strong and historical ties with Yemen and its people, and we hope to see peace return to Yemen soon. I once again urge all parties to refrain from violence and engage constructively in good faith with the Special Envoy to bring about a lasting political settlement in the country.

I thank, as always, Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for Yemen Griffiths and Under-Secretary General Lowcock for their briefings. We particularly welcome hearing the voice of Ms. Shawky here today. We know the incredible work that CARE International and other non-governmental organizations do on the ground in Yemen, and I have to say that she struck a particularly deep chord with all of us this morning, bringing a perspective of the depth and the seriousness of the humanitarian crisis right across Yemen, so I thank her. Even by our own standards within the Council in the discussion of Yemen, I must say that today’s briefings by both Martin Griffiths and Mark Lowcock were particularly sobering. We have clearly reached a critical point in the conflict in Yemen, described as a moment of great fragility. We welcome Special Envoy Griffiths’s relentless efforts, together with other envoys, despite the conditions on the ground, to try to inject new political momentum into those talks. We see that as a shared objective for a genuine and inclusive political process, bringing what I can only describe as a modicum of hope to the increasingly desperate Yemeni people. Putting an end to fighting, we know, offers the only route to bringing an end to this conflict and to the suffering of the Yemeni people. We implore all actors to hear the call of the Yemeni people and of the international community to end the fighting and to end it now. The overwhelming humanitarian crisis in Yemen makes it imperative that there be an urgent end to this conflict. I am therefore reiterating the Council’s call for an immediate de-escalation and a nationwide ceasefire, as outlined in resolution 2564 (2021), adopted just four weeks ago. The ongoing Houthi escalation in Ma’rib, in an area that we have already heard has 1 million people already internally displaced, continues to be deeply worrying and clearly inflicts unacceptable civilian suffering. We once again call on the Houthis to cease that offensive immediately, without preconditions. Ireland condemns in the strongest possible terms the intensified cross-border attacks on the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. We are also concerned by the increased attacks on Sana’a, and call for a de- escalation and ceasefire. Violations of international humanitarian and human rights law continue to be perpetrated at what are now alarming levels. It is quite simply fundamental to everything that we have heard from the speakers this morning that all parties in Yemen turn towards peace. There are no two ways to say this: it is time to return to the negotiating table. The insidious, and I would say horrific, link between conflict and hunger that we discussed in the Council under your presidency, Madam, just last week is absolutely crystal clear in Yemen. As Martin Griffiths pointed out, those are not coincidences. It is difficult to overstate the peril of food insecurity facing most Yemenis as a result of this conflict, and Mark Lowcock’s repeated reference to a protracted process of prolonged starvation is truly a shocking indictment of the situation in which we find ourselves as an international community. We know that it is a struggle on a daily basis for people simply to survive, with half the population facing acute food shortages and millions — we repeat that to ourselves, millions — facing famine. Half of all children under five in Yemen will face acute malnutrition this year, with nearly 400,000 already suffering from severe acute malnutrition and likely to die if we do not ensure that they get urgent assistance. The international community shares responsibility for that situation. We must step up to ensure that adequate humanitarian assistance reaches those facing those multiple threats to their survival. We share the Secretary-General’s concerns about resources for humanitarian assistance following the pledging conference at the beginning of this month. A further catastrophic humanitarian and environmental threat also looms in the form of the FSO SAFER oil tanker. We call once more on the Houthis to facilitate immediate access for an assessment to be carried out. We have seen previous explosions and oil spills in recent memory cause tremendous devastation and a lasting impact. For the Houthis to allow such a catastrophe to unfold, when help is being offered, would be simply unforgivable. At last week’s Arria Formula meeting, which Ireland hosted, and in which you, Madam President, indeed participated, we heard the strong support of Member States for the direct and substantive participation of women in United Nations-led peace processes, including in Yemen. Twelve Security Council members sponsored that call. I echo the words of the Yemeni woman peacebuilder Rasha Jarhum, who joined us at that meeting and said, “without women, and without gender equality, peace is not an attainable goal”. As we look with hope to the potential of new diplomatic efforts despite everything that we have heard today, we reiterate the fundamental point that no negotiating table should be without women. We must reject and address barriers to the full, equal and meaningful participation of women in political and public life. We call for an end to the human rights violations that aim to prevent such participation, such as arbitrary detention and sexual and gender-based violence. The Council took concrete steps towards that goal with the adoption of resolution 2564 (2021) last month, but we can, and must, do more. We cannot accept that it be otherwise.

I thank Special Envoy Martin Griffiths, Under-Secretary-General Mark Lowcock and Ms. Nirvana Shawky for their sobering briefings. Kenya’s delegation learned with sadness of the fire incident that occurred on 7 March at the immigration holding facility in Sana’a. We convey our heartfelt condolences to the families of those who lost their lives and wish a quick recovery to the injured. We call for a quick investigation into the incident. Kenya is gravely concerned over the escalating conflict in Ma’rib. The reports of further displacement of over 15,000 people who were already living in informal settlements and the uncertainty faced by the more than 1 million internally displaced persons near Ma’rib is quite disturbing. We are further concerned by the intensified hostilities between factions with access to more weaponry. We should be progressing further with a political negotiation that is the basis for sustained peace, rather than the reversals that we are observing. The ongoing fuel blockade, which has prevented commercial ships from bringing fuel into Al-Hudaydah, further exacerbates the already dire humanitarian situation. Kenya calls on all stakeholders with any impact on humanitarian-related infrastructure in Yemen to ensure that it is protected and that there are no deliberate or inadvertent blockages. We urge the Council to take note of objective and verified information regarding any party that may be deliberately undermining or frustrating the United Nations humanitarian relief effort. All efforts must be made to ease the unnecessary suffering of millions of civilians. Kenya encourages humanitarian agencies to deploy new and innovative solutions that invest in strengthening local food production. It is clear that terrorist groups in Yemen, and elsewhere, are a present and future threat to any established peace. The Special Envoy should practice the utmost caution in ensuring that the peace process does not offer those groups a way to insert and escalate their ideological reach and operations. Furthermore, we strongly recommend that the peace resolution and recovery process have in-built disarmament, demobilization and reintegration plus. That plus represents a disengagement process that uses psychosocial and counter-narrative tools, including family trust-building, and robust vetting to minimize the risk to disengaged combatants who have fought for terrorist groups. Resolution 2564 (2021), which we adopted on 25 February, broadly expresses the concerns and aspirations that the Security Council has with regard to Yemen. We have also had the opportunity to listen to the voices of Yemeni women and youth. We believe that they should be enabled to meaningfully contribute to a Yemeni-led and Yemeni-owned peace process. We encourage the Special Envoy to include the voices of the victims of terrorism in Yemen; the voices of women, in their quest for empowerment and inclusion; and civil voices from the religious community, renowned for advocating for freedom of religion. We recognize ,with thanks, the countries and institutions contributing to the humanitarian relief effort in Yemen, and encourage them to sustain their compassionate commitment.

We thank Special Envoy Martin Griffiths, Under-Secretary-General Mark Lowcock and Ms. Shawky for their detailed presentations. Mexico expresses its serious concern over the continuing violence in various locations, but most especially with regard to the offensive in Ma’rib, which puts the lives of thousands of civilians at risk and is driving a new wave of displacement. Ma’rib already hosts 1 million displaced persons, but almost 400,000 other people are at risk of being displaced yet again. This would further exacerbate the urgent need to address the humanitarian situation. We also vigourously condemn the increasing attacks against infrastructure, including health centres and schools in Taiz, in which medical personnel as well as patients and/or students, including children, have been killed or injured. We echo the call of the Special Envoy to find and punish those responsible for the fire in the Sana’a migrant detention centre. We call on Houthi militias to stop their offensive on Ma’rib and immediately cease any type of aggression putting the civilian population at risk. We likewise condemn the attacks against Saudi territory and targets and urge Ansar Allah and the parties to the conflict to immediately cease all attacks and acts of provocation. Mexico urges regional partners with the greatest influence to persuade the leadership of Ansar Allah and the Government of Yemen alike to act with the greatest of moderation, as the circumstances require, and to bring them into constructive dialogue to achieve a nationwide ceasefire. We welcome the efforts of the United States Government and its Special Envoy to facilitate dialogue with Ansar Allah. The cessation of hostilities is indispensable for facilitating humanitarian assistance. At the same time, we welcome the report of the National Commission of Inquiry to investigate allegations of violations and abuses committed by all parties to the conflict in Yemen, and we encourage the investigation of arbitrary detentions and forcible disappearances. However, we regret that conversations in the context of the most recent meeting of the Supervisory Committee on the Implementation of the Prisoners and Detainees Exchange Agreement, facilitated by the Special Envoy and representatives of the International Committee of the Red Cross, not did not bear fruit. We urge the parties to make progress in consultations with a view promptly releasing detainees and clarifying the facts surrounding forced disappearances. Mexico once again thanks Special Envoy Griffiths, United Nations personnel in Yemen and several national delegations for their participation in the meeting of the Informal Group of Experts on Women and Peace and Security, which took place on 1 March. Almost six years since the conflict began, the humanitarian situation continues to deteriorate, with Yemeni women being most affected: gender-based violence and the use of sexual violence as a weapon of war are unacceptable. It is necessary to ensure the meaningful and equitable participation of women in the peace process. The role of women in conflict mediation and rebuilding peace is crucial to ensuring robust, sustainable and inclusive outcomes. The efforts of the Special Envoy to increase the number of women in delegations participating in the political process, as well as his continuous engagement with the Yemeni Women’s Technical Advisory Group, are of the greatest relevance. There is an urgent need to fully implement the National Action Plan on Women and Peace and Security, officially launched in May 2020. In conclusion, we urge, once again, Ansar Allah to abstain from imposing new conditions for the inspection of the FSO SAFER ship and to permit immediate access to United Nations teams. This is a time bomb that we must deactivate or the environmental and humanitarian consequences will be catastrophic.

I would like to thank Mr. Martin Griffiths and Mr. Mark Lowcock for their briefings on the situation in Yemen. My thanks also go to Ms. Nirvana Sharkey of CARE International, who gave us an overview of the conditions facing humanitarian workers in the country The war in Yemen continues and, with it, its mounting toll of desolation and suffering inflicted on the Yemeni population over almost seven years now. This humanitarian crisis, categorized as the most catastrophic in the world, and which we seem resigned to contemplating from afar, must provoke out collective conscience, since any human suffering is a tragedy for all of humankind. As is clear from the briefings we have just heard, famine is imminent and may affect more than half of the Yemeni population if nothing is done in the days and months ahead. We therefore call on donor countries to honour the commitments made at the conference on the humanitarian situation in Yemen held on 1 March in order to allow humanitarian agencies to come to the aid of populations already weakened by economic crisis, the effects of the coronavirus disease pandemic and the recent resumption of hostilities, particularly in the province of Ma’rib. It is very disconcerting today to see the glimmers of hope glimpsed in late 2020 — with the release of thousands of detainees, the formation of a new Government and the favourable predisposition shown by the parties towards the proposals of the Special Envoy — fade away due to the resumption of hostilities. My delegation condemns the recent attacks and the launching of rockets on civilian residential areas and on camps for internally displaced persons, which have claimed the lives of several dozen people and caused the displacement of more than 150,000 others. The use of armed drones by the Houthi rebels on towns and oil facilities in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is a source of great concern. If the political process in Yemen is stagnating, that is entirely due to the inability of the parties to agree on a common denominator that would serve as the basis for a political process leading to a general ceasefire, guaranteeing the resumption of talks on the basis of the proposals made by the Special Envoy of the Secretary-General. The Niger remains of the view that resolving the crisis will inevitably require dialogue among Yemenis, with the support of the international community. We call on all the parties to work together to restore peace in Yemen and for the good of its people. It is very clear this crisis cannot be resolved by military means, but a change of approach is required on the part of the United Nations and Yemen’s international partners. This approach must combine increased diplomatic pressure on the parties and the maintenance of regular contacts with all actors involved in this crisis. In this regard, my country encourages regional actors and the members of the Council with influence over the parties to the conflict to spare no effort to accompany Yemenis on the difficult but essential path of dialogue, reconciliation and peace. The recent visit by the Special Envoy of the United States of America for Yemen, Mr. Timothy Lenderking, to the region and his readiness to work with the United Nations Special Envoy is a genuine step in the right direction. No effort must be spared to achieve a de-escalation of the situation and give the negotiations a real chance, as they are the only alternative for saving the lives of millions of people, the majority of them women and children. I should like, in conclusion, to reaffirm the steadfast support of the Niger to the Special Envoy, Mr. Martin Griffiths, in his tireless efforts seeking to re-launch dialogue between the Yemeni parties, as well as our support for United Nations agencies and non-governmental organizations for their essential assistance to people in distress and under circumstances made even more difficult by violence and resourcing shortfalls.

I would like to thank Special Envoy Griffiths and Under-Secretary-General Lowcock for their briefings and their tireless efforts to make progress in Yemen. Thanks also to Nirvana Shawky for sharing important experiences from the ground. We fully support the efforts of the United Nations to bring this conflict to an end and to alleviate the suffering of the Yemeni people. For far too long, we have witnessed vicious cycles of violence in Yemen, which persist and, as we have heard today, are even deteriorating to this day. We are alarmed by the ongoing Houthi offensive in Ma’rib, and the increasing number of missile and drone attacks against Saudi Arabia. We are also following developments in Taiz, Al- Hudaydah and Sana’a with concern. These developments will only contribute to the escalation of the conflict. We call on all parties to de-escalate and seize this opportunity for a nationwide ceasefire linked to political talks. An easing of the ongoing embargo would also be an important measure to allow sufficient import of fuel and other basic goods to cover the needs of the population. There is no military solution to this conflict. It is high time to end the cycle of violence and the deteriorating humanitarian crisis. Only an inclusive political process can lead to sustainable peace and stability in Yemen. We stress the need to consult a wide range of actors and ensure that negotiations reflect the population and the situation on the ground. It is important to ensure the full, equal and meaningful participation of women. Experience shows that inclusive peace processes that bring those most affected by the conflict to the negotiating table are more durable. Furthermore, regional and international actors that are involved in the conflict must also do their part in ensuring political talks get started. The humanitarian situation is dire. The pledging conference in Geneva was important, but we cannot be satisfied with the outcome. As we have heard so many times: increased donor support, humanitarian access and an end to violence are all vital if we want to avert a large-scale famine and contribute to peace in Yemen. The grim truth is that millions of Yemenis are at risk of death of starvation. We cannot let this happen. The condition of the FSO SAFER oil tanker continues to be of grave concern. We call again on the Houthis to provide immediate and unconditional access and contribute constructively towards a solution. There is no time for further delays. The environmental and humanitarian consequences of a possible leakage will be tremendous. And the impact will be felt for decades. It would also lead to a closure of the port in Al-Hudaydah and be detrimental to the Houthis’ own interests. To conclude, I want to stress that the protection of civilians is a core obligation under international humanitarian law. The recruitment and use of children in armed conflict are unacceptable. The same is true for air attacks on camps for internally displaced persons. We are shocked by the recent fire in a migrant holding facility in Sana’a, as well as the military use of, and attacks on, schools. Humanitarian access to people in need must be granted immediately. Any violations of international humanitarian law must be investigated and those responsible held accountable.

We thank Special Envoy Martin Griffiths and Under-Secretary-General Mark Lowcock for the briefings on the political and humanitarian situations in Yemen. We also closely followed the briefing by Ms. Shawky. This video-teleconference convenes against the backdrop of a dangerous escalation in Yemen, where an almost-six-year long deadly conflict has put two thirds of the population into dire need of urgent humanitarian assistance. We have to state with regret that the logic of armed confrontation still prevails. We are particularly concerned over the situation around Ma’rib, where deadly clashes resumed in early February. Fighting is also reported in other Yemeni governorates. We call on the sides to stop fighting and solve the problem by political and diplomatic means. We intend to further support relevant efforts taken by the Special Envoy for Yemen, Martin Griffiths. We emphasize that all sides to the conflict must uphold international humanitarian law. Any combat operations that can damage civilian infrastructure or claim lives of civilians are unacceptable. A new coalition Government was formed on 18 December 2020 — wherein representatives of the southern regions for the first time received a considerable share of ministerial posts — to support the implementation of the Riyadh agreement of 5 November 2019, which was designed to normalize the situation in the south of Yemen. We hope that the implementation of the aforementioned agreements will enhance public security and allow efforts to focus on urgent socioeconomic and humanitarian problems in this part of Yemen. We also advocate for practical implementation of the Riyadh provisions addressing the launch of negotiations of a consolidated delegation of official Yemeni authorities and the Southern Transitional Council with the leadership of the Houthi Ansar Allah movement on issues of the future political structure of Yemen. Some encouraging signals have recently arrived from Washington. I am referring to the United States decision to reconsider having the Ansar Allah Houthi movement on the list of foreign terrorist organizations, and the proclaimed commitment of the new United States Administration to join efforts aimed at bringing the conflict to an end promptly. Should this constructive approach be backed up by corresponding practical steps, the prospects for restoring long-awaited peace and stability to Yemen will increase significantly. Humanitarian assistance to Yemen should be a priority track of our joint work. To counter the hunger that is spreading throughout the country, and diseases, including the coronavirus disease, Yemen needs the broad support of the international community. We take note of the international pledging event on Yemen held on 1 March, which resulted in donors assuming an obligation to cover about 50 per cent of the budget of Yemen’s humanitarian response plan. The United Nations leadership believes this result to be insufficient to reverse the negative humanitarian trend in Yemen. We call on donors, including those from the region, to enhance their financial support for United Nations programmes providing basic assistance, including those ensuring the population’s food security and access to clean water and medical services. We believe that the non-discriminatory distribution of humanitarian assistance among the entire population of the country is the key factor that can ease the humanitarian catastrophe in Yemen. We also believe that mutually acceptable and non-politicized solutions can be found to solve the problem of the FSO SAFER tanker. In conclusion, we recall that the launch of a confidence- and security- building process in the Persian Gulf, and eventually in the entire Middle East, would contribute to resolving crises, including the Yemeni conflict. In this regard, we once again call on our colleagues to pay attention to the fact that the entire subregion needs comprehensive stabilization, based, among other things, on resolution 598 (1987) and the Russian collective security concept.

Good morning and welcome to our briefers. We recognize your steadfast dedication to the people of Yemen; however, it is with heavy hearts that we receive your sobering updates. First, allow me to express deep concern at the plight of migrants in and around Yemen, including those caught in the deadly fire that broke out in the migrant detention centre in Sana’a and those who suffered at the hands of traffickers en route to Yemen. These matters must be thoroughly investigated and we call for a recommitment to the protection of migrants from all parties. It is clear that Yemen is on the precipice of another catastrophe from which it may not be able to return. Yemen’s weak economy, the ongoing hostilities, including escalations in Marib and Al-Hudaydah, and the dire humanitarian situation — exacerbated by fuel shortages, the ongoing blockade of commercial imports in Al-Hudaydah, and the coronavirus disease pandemic — have combined to create unbearable suffering. Over 2 million children under five years old are projected to face acute malnutrition. Over half of Yemen’s population is facing acute food shortages. And as we have heard before from the World Food Programme Executive Director, Mr. David Beasley, millions are knocking on the door of famine. The cost of this conflict is high and its consequences will reverberate for years. The joint declaration proposed by the Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for Yemen has been a starting point from which Yemen can navigate these challenges. There is need for an immediate nationwide ceasefire. The ongoing violence, including cross-border attacks, is inimical to progress towards peace, and within Marib, hostilities threaten the worst mass displacement of the war. A ceasefire will mitigate the humanitarian situation by facilitating the delivery of life-saving assistance to the Yemeni people. Humanitarian access must be unhindered and humanitarian responders must be sufficiently equipped with the resources necessary to provide much-needed reprieve. The virtual pledging event held on 1 March was an opportunity for the international community to reaffirm and reinforce its solidarity with the people of Yemen, yet the outcome was disappointing. While we welcome the pledges made and encourage these to be disbursed with a sense of urgency, we appeal to others in the international community to increase their support by providing funds to ensure that life-saving humanitarian programmes are able to continue. While the most recent round of prisoner exchange talks was not fruitful, we encourage the parties to continue their discussions and efforts to meet their commitments. We have already seen in the past that dialogue can result in progress and encourage confidence-building. Last week, we celebrated International Women’s Day, recognizing the social, economic, cultural and political contributions and achievements of women. In so doing, we called for further action to ensure gender parity in all spheres. In Yemen, women’s aspirations and needs must be realized. This must start by ensuring their equal participation in the peace process. We encourage the Special Envoy to continue his work with women in Yemen, including the Yemeni Women’s Technical Advisory Group. Let us ensure that women have the platform and a safe space for their voices to be heard and not merely ventilated but translated into concrete action on the ground. In closing, we affirm our commitment to the Special Envoy, Mark Lowcock, and all actors working to promote peace in Yemen. We stand in solidarity with the people of Yemen. To that end, we call on all parties to prioritize safeguarding the environment by allowing, without delay, the deployment of a United Nations mission to the FSO SAFER oil tanker in order to prevent a catastrophe in the Red Sea. Politicizing and weaponizing this issue only engenders a further threat to the lives and livelihoods of the Yemeni people.

Thank you, Madam President, and thank you to our briefers. Ms Shawky, your words eloquently capture the universal hopes of the Yemeni people and — along with the continued warnings from Mr Lowcock that Yemen is on the brink not just of a devastating famine, but a prolonged starvation — the reason why ending the conflict in Yemen is a priority for the United Kingdom and why it should be a priority for the world. We urgently need an opportunity to advance peace. We need, as we have heard, an end to fighting, a nationwide ceasefire and an inclusive political process that ends the conflict. The United Kingdom is grateful to the Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for Yemen, Mr. Griffiths, for his tireless work and for his renewed efforts in recent weeks. But despite recent efforts, the Houthis have, as resolution 2564 (2021) warns, escalated military attacks, intensifying attacks on Saudi Arabia and on Marib. Their actions are making the humanitarian crisis worse. With 140,000 people already displaced from Marib, the United Kingdom strongly condemns these escalations, as we did in a joint statement with France, Germany, Italy and the United States last week. We are also concerned about reports of protesters storming the presidential palace in Aden today and reports of security forces firing on protesters in Seyoun yesterday. We call for restraint from protesters and security forces alike. We also remain deeply concerned by the grave threat posed by the FSO SAFER oil tanker. The Houthis most urgently implement the multiple Security Council calls on them to facilitate the United Nations assessment and repair mission. We also call on the Houthis to ensure a transparent and independent investigation into the Houthi-run migrant centre fire in Sana’a, including the involvement of the Houthi Preventive Security Service. Scores may have died. International agencies must have unrestricted access to the site and to those injured. The Houthis’ treatment of migrants must improve. Humanitarian aid must not be used as a political tool. In line with resolutions 2451 (2018) and 2417 (2018), we call on all parties to facilitate unhindered humanitarian access and to ensure that humanitarian workers are able to continue their work safely and without harm. It is also critical that imports flow into the port of Al-Hudaydah and that vital onward supply routes remain open. We call on the Government of Yemen to immediately approve fuel ships to enter northern ports. Significant external financial assistance is also needed to enable affordable food imports. The United Kingdom continues to be a leading donor to Yemen. We have so far pledged $120 million to the 2021 appeal. This will feed an additional 240,000 of the most vulnerable Yemenis every month and provide clean water for 1.6 million people.

Let me start by thanking Special Envoy Griffiths and Under-Secretary- General Lowcock for their briefings. We are also grateful for Ms. Shawky’s insight from the field. We thank you and all of the aid workers you represent here today for the critical, life-saving work you do under the most difficult and desperate of circumstances. I started out my first full day as United States Ambassador to the United Nations hearing from humanitarian non-governmental organizations working on the ground in Yemen. I am committed to ensuring that we as a Council hear from those voices in the field, particularly the voices of women. For our part, the United States is stepping up our diplomacy to end the war. Special Envoy Lenderking recently met key leaders in Saudi Arabia, Oman, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Qatar and Jordan. He has met multiple times with the Republic of Yemen’s Government Foreign Minister and other key stakeholders, including our European counterparts. The United States is working tirelessly, in full coordination with Special Envoy Griffiths, to create the conditions for the parties to reach a ceasefire and a negotiated end to the conflict, one that incorporates the perspectives and experiences of the Yemeni people. First and foremost, all parties to this conflict must stop fighting. Peace is the only path forward. All parties understand the steps necessary to move forward towards a comprehensive, nationwide ceasefire and political talks, and we call on them now to execute these steps. But there can be no ceasefire and no peace in Yemen if the Houthis continue their daily attacks against the Yemeni people, Saudi Arabia and other countries in the region. Unfortunately, Houthi attacks have continued unabated since December, when they attempted to assassinate the new Yemeni Cabinet. And today the Houthi offensive in Ma’rib is taking the lives of more Yemeni men, women and children. They are also cruelly detaining innocent people. We grieve the lives lost in the fire on 7 March at a migrant facility in Sana’a, which we heard from all of our speakers earlier. Dozens of migrants subjected to inhumane conditions by the Houthis were needlessly killed. The death and violence must stop. We call on the Houthis to accept an immediate, comprehensive and nationwide ceasefire and to cease all attacks. In the meantime, we will continue to hold the Houthi leadership to account. The Houthis are now threatening irreversible catastrophe, delaying the United Nations assessment and initial repair of the FSO SAFER oil tanker. It is well past time for the Houthis to quit stalling. If they delay further, they could devastate not just the environment but the lives and livelihoods of an estimated 4 million people. We urge other nations to continue to press the Houthis to allow the assessment to move forward immediately. We also commend the Security Council’s decision to designate Sultan Zabin under the United Nations sanctions regime for overseeing and carrying out detentions, torture and sexual violence against politically active women who opposed the Houthis. We will continue to work with the Yemen Sanctions Committee to identify individuals and entities who meet the designation criteria. Finally, as we redouble our efforts to end this war, we cannot ignore Yemen’s worsening humanitarian disaster. As Mark Lowcock reminded us, more than 14 million Yemeni people are on the brink of starvation. This includes 2.3 million children under the age of 5. The World Food Programme’s Executive Director, David Beasley, told us last week during the signature event of our presidency — the open debate on conflict and food security (see S/2021/250) — that while we are sitting here a child dies there every minute and a quarter. That is hell on Earth. These numbers, frankly, are almost too difficult to imagine. So I would like to end with a call — a plea, in fact — for funding a massive and worthy humanitarian response, which we just heard about from our three briefers. During the 1 March high-level pledging event, Secretary Blinken announced over $190 million in additional United States humanitarian assistance, bringing the total of United States financial assistance for Yemen to more than $350 million so far this fiscal year. Unfortunately, the overall international fundraising effort of this conference fell significantly short. We ask that regional donors in particular contribute additional funding, and we encourage those that did make generous pledges to fulfil their commitments promptly. The United States is committing to doing its part, both to provide aid and to help address the obstacles standing in the way of humanitarian assistance. But we cannot do it alone. We urge all parties, in both the north and south of Yemen, to open the gates, allow the unfettered importation and distribution of fuel and let the neutral, life-saving humanitarians in. Not doing this means more deaths and, I dare say, more blood on their hands. As Ms. Shawky so shockingly described, millions of Yemeni people remain in dire need. For them, the words that we say here in the Council can go only so far. The important thing is that we act, and we act now, as we heard from all of our briefers today. To a person, all of us on this screen have expressed our shock at the situation. We all called for an end to the violence. And we all declared our support for the Yemeni people. Let us translate these statements into actions.

We would like to thank Mr. Martin Griffiths, Special Envoy of the Secretary- General for Yemen, Mr. Mark Lowcock, Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, and Ms. Nirvana Shawky, CARE’s Regional Director for the Middle East and North Africa, for their informative briefings. We reiterate our full support for their valuable work in Yemen. We would also like to welcome the Permanent Representative of Yemen to this meeting. We are gravely concerned about the military escalation in parts of Yemen, especially in Ma’rib and Taiz. That fighting has resulted in severe casualties, including many deaths among civilians, children and migrants. We condemn acts of violence and re-emphasize the urgent need for the parties concerned to stop fighting, implement the Secretary-General’s call for a ceasefire and return to the negotiations on a nationwide ceasefire. On a positive note, we are pleased to see renewed diplomatic efforts and dialogue with regional partners to end the war in Yemen. In this regard, we urge all the parties concerned to take this opportunity to give a chance to the political process in Yemen and peace and stability in the region. It is distressing that more than 20 million Yemenis — that is, over 70 per cent of the country’s population — especially women and children, are in desperate need of assistance and protection. The price of fuel has increased two and even three times in some areas in the last several months in Yemen. The coronavirus disease pandemic and business disruptions have exacerbated the immense humanitarian needs. Moreover, the funding shortage remains one of Yemen’s most significant obstacles to humanitarian operations. We welcome the committed contributions made at the virtual high-level pledging event for the humanitarian situation in Yemen held on 1 March. However, this amount falls far from expectations. Against this backdrop, we call for continued support for the Yemeni people. Without financial assistance, the world will fail to help Yemen deal with the imminent threat of famine. The international community must act to protect Yemeni children and avoid another crisis for Yemen’s future generations. We also call upon relevant parties to fulfil their obligations under international law, including international humanitarian law regarding the protection of civilians, especially women and children, and civilian objects, as well as to ensure means and infrastructure essential to the survival and livelihood of Yemeni people. Humanitarian and health workers must be given access to support those in need and provide treatment for those affected by the recent military operations. The full implementation of the Stockholm Agreement and the Riyadh agreement, with the United Nations mediation, should be carried out earnestly. We reaffirm our support for Yemen’s sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity. We support further strengthened participation by women and youth in Yemen’s political process. The inaccessibility of the FSO SAFER oil tanker remains our continued concern. We reiterate our call on Ansar Allah to grant access to the United Nations technical team without further conditions. To conclude, we urge all the parties concerned to demonstrate further restraint and create an environment conducive to Yemen’s political process, peace and stability in the region.

Allow me to begin by congratulating you, Ambassador, on your assumption of the presidency of the Security Council for this month, and by thanking your predecessor, the Permanent Representative of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, for her successful presidency in February. The Government of Yemen, under the guidance and leadership of the President of the Republic, His Excellency Abdrabuh Mansour Hadi Mansour, continues to reach out to achieve a solution that will end the Yemeni crisis and fulfil the Yemeni people’s aspiration for sustainable, comprehensive peace through a political process based on the terms of reference of the political solution in Yemen, namely, the Gulf Cooperation Council Initiative and its Implementation Mechanism, the outcomes of the All-Inclusive National Dialogue Conference and the relevant Council resolutions, in particular resolution 2216 (2015). The Government welcomes all efforts made by the United Nations through the Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for Yemen, Martin Griffiths, to end the conflict by peaceful means, and the diplomatic track announced by the new United States Administration through its Special Envoy for Yemen, Timothy Lenderking. The Government reiterates its commitment to peace and its willingness to engage positively with all calls and initiatives that might lead to an end to the conflict. The Houthi militias, in contrast, persist in their intransigence and their rejection of all peace initiatives. They choose war and escalation, most recently through the announcement by their official spokesperson that they reject the efforts of the international community and the United States. What is happening today in Ma’rib is a testament to the aggression and terrorism of these militias, which were raised by the mullahs’ regime in Tehran. Ma’rib’s residential neighbourhoods and camps for displaced persons are being bombarded, including with ballistic missiles, in a brutal and criminal fashion. In February, the militias launched 25 ballistic missiles into the safe haven of Ma’rib, which was sheltering more than 2 million displaced persons who had fled the acts of terrorism and brutal repression carried out by militias in the areas under their control, in the course of which hundreds of civilians, including women and children, were killed and wounded. Dozens of women and children were killed by the militias’ indiscriminate bombardment of residential communities in Taiz and Al-Hudaydah. The militias’ thirst for Yemeni blood has not been quenched, however. They have carried out another dreadful crime whose victims’ blood is not yet dry, committing mass murder by causing a fire at the detention centre in Sana’a, in which more than 170 Ethiopian migrants were killed or injured after refusing to obey the militias’ orders to serve on the front lines of the fighting in Ma’rib or else make monetary payments to the militias — orders that were in flagrant violation of international humanitarian law, human rights law and national laws. In an attempted cover-up, the militias have prevented the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and the International Organization for Migration from conducting a transparent investigation into this heinous crime or gaining access to the injured. What the Council and the international community need to understand clearly today is that the military escalation by the militias comes at a time when calls have been made for peace and a return to dialogue. This barbaric escalation threatens not only to exacerbate the humanitarian crisis but also to completely eliminate the diplomatic track and the political process as a whole. We therefore welcome the recent statement in which the Governments of France, Germany, Italy, the United Kingdom and the United States condemned the ongoing Houthi attacks on Ma’rib. We call upon the Council to assume its responsibilities and take deterrent measures against the militias and their backer, the rogue Iranian regime, so that they cease their military escalation and participate in the peace efforts being conducted by the United Nations. On 11 March 2021, the Council discussed the relationship between conflict and food insecurity (see S/2021/250). In view of the alarming data contained in the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification, the underlying causes of the severe food shortages and hunger suffered by the Yemeni people, especially in areas controlled by the militias, must be identified and addressed. Despite the international community’s contributions to the humanitarian response plan in Yemen, Yemenis continue to suffer because of actions by the militias, which are using starvation as a means of warfare, blocking humanitarian aid from reaching those in need and instead redirecting it to the front lines of the fighting to prolong their senseless war, and increasing the number of those in need by attacking cities and camps for displaced persons, thereby creating fresh waves of displacement. The militias are also attempting to deceive the international community about their aggressive and brutal behaviour by fabricating a crisis related to oil derivatives in areas under their control. They claim that fuel and oil derivatives are being prevented from entering those areas either through the port of Al-Hudaydah or by land. These allegations are clearly disproved by the statistics issued by the relevant authorities in relation to the quantities of fuel that have entered those areas and have been seized by the militias, which then sell the fuel on the black market at twice the normal price to finance their war. The technocratic Government is making every effort to meet the complex challenges facing the Yemeni economy. It is making fundamental reforms to increase State revenue, rationalize expenditure, improve services, enhance the performance of institutions, increase the effectiveness of supervisory bodies, and uphold the principles of transparency and integrity. We look forward to the presentation and dissemination by the Council, in the near future, of the results of the investigation conducted by the Panel of Experts on Yemen into the terrorist attack on the Government at Aden International Airport, and to the perpetrators being held to account. The Yemeni economy is currently facing an acute crisis and major challenges as a result of the war and the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic. The fact that inflation has exceeded 50 per cent and the currency has depreciated by 40 per cent is clearly reflected every day in the humanitarian crisis. Without support for the economy and currency stabilization, humanitarian intervention will not be able to address or stop the current deterioration. In 2018, Saudi Arabia deposited $2 billion in the Central Bank; at the time, that generous intervention was the basis for mitigating the humanitarian crisis, avoiding famine and stabilizing the currency. Today, supporting the economy and currency stabilization should be an urgent priority. Here I reiterate the Prime Minister’s call, at the donor conference at the start of this month, for the establishment of a mechanism to ensure that funds provided by donors for aid work in Yemen are handled by the Central Bank. The handling of donor funds outside the framework of State institutions threatens to undermine those institutions and bring about their collapse; it is a grave error that will lead to chaos and long-term damage. We once again call on development partners, friendly States and donor organizations to support the Government’s efforts to achieve stability and economic recovery, and to support the national currency. We emphasize the need to work on the transition from aid to development in response to the Government’s programme. The Government of Yemen reiterates its stern condemnation of the repeated terrorist attacks by the militias against Saudi Arabian territory, civilian objects and oil facilities. The attacks represent a serious threat to the security and stability of the region, and bear the hallmarks of the malicious scheme to sow chaos and destruction in Yemen and the region. We call upon the Council to confront this aggressive behaviour. Yemen will not be an arena for reckless attempts by the Iranian regime to undermine the stability of neighbouring countries, international security and the global economy. The United Nations has reached deadlock with the militias over the status of the oil tanker FSO SAFER. The Government of Yemen has repeatedly pointed out that the militias pay no heed to warnings about, or the potential consequences of, the leakage of the tanker’s cargo of more than 1 million barrels of crude oil. The militias are manipulating the issue, which they are using to bargain with and extort the international community. The Council must take strict deterrent measures against the militias and force them to allow the United Nations technical team access to the tanker urgently and unconditionally, in order to carry out the initial assessment and maintenance in preparation for the unloading of the oil, and to avoid a serious environmental, economic and humanitarian disaster for Yemen, the countries of the region and international shipping.