S/PV.8235 Security Council

In accordance with rule 37 of the Council’s provisional rules of procedure, I invite the representative of Yemen to participate in this meeting. In accordance with rule 39 of the Council’s provisional rules of procedure, I invite the following briefers to participate in this meeting: Mr. Martin Griffiths, Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for Yemen, and Mr. Mark Lowcock, Under-Secretary- General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator. The Security Council will now begin its consideration of the item on its agenda. I now give the floor to Mr. Griffiths. Mr. Griffiths: I accepted my assignment as the Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for Yemen and began on 11 March. I approached it with gratitude to the Secretary-General for his trust and a sense of privilege that I might get the chance to do something to bring that great tragedy to a belated end — a privilege coupled, I hope, with due humility in the face of the complexity and urgency of the challenge. In the days since, those original feelings have, if anything, become stronger. I have been privileged to meet and to be guided by a wealth of Yemenis from all the parties and many civic organizations. I have taken up the time of leaders and listened just as eagerly to the views of the less fortunate. As is always the case, from my own experience, it has been the women whom I have met who have often spoken with the greatest clarity, as well as with the generosity that is necessary about those they fear, as well as those they support. Public comment on Yemen, like on any other international tragedy, is copious and, sadly, often vituperative. The rhetoric on Yemen is, perhaps understandably, unforgiving and unsparing. I know, as those present do, that peace becomes possible when we see the good in our foes, even though we can see the cruelties of war clearly. My emphasis on listening to and engaging Yemenis above all other priorities is not an idle decision. We know that resolving Yemen’s conflict may come only from an agreement among its leaders to put aside their differences and agree to deal with them not through battle but through dialogue and debate. To put Yemenis first, therefore, is not merely proper and right; it is also the only way we will find peace. In my experience of trying to resolve conflicts, I have learned to take people at their word — to trust, yes, but also to verify. We should take on trust the assurances we hear, even as we know that the ultimate test is what they will deliver in practice. So when I hear positive words from one leader or another — which are often instantly the cause of derision or scepticism from the other side — my line is: let us take those good words and put them to good use. My report today is a preliminary one. I will share what I know, and also what I fear. I will also try to identify signs of hope. My plan is to put to the Council within the next two months a framework for negotiations. There is good news and bad news. I apologize for that cliché, but it is the truth. The good news — and it is my principal message to the members of the Council today — is that a political solution to bring an end to the war is indeed available. Its outlines are no secret. They include the end of fighting, the withdrawal of forces and the handover of heavy weapons in key locations, along with an agreement on the establishment of an inclusive Government that brings the parties together in a consensus to build peace. That can be done. All those with whom I spoke, from the widest range of the Yemeni political spectrum, have told me that they want that, that they want it quickly, that they will work with the United Nations to achieve it and that they are conscious of the consequence, as in all agreements between enemies, that mutual concessions will be required. Let me emphasize, however, that a successful outcome of negotiations, which is never to be guaranteed, will require patience, diligence and good faith between the parties. I have come to that general conclusion by listening to the leaders of the parties. I have assured them that what the Secretary-General wishes and what the Council requires is also what all Yemenis want — a stable and secure Yemen with a Government accountable to its citizens. I am grateful to President Hadi for his time, patience and willingness to put the concerns of his people first. His Government has spared no effort to ensure that I understand their positions, needs and willingness to engage. I count on their support, which is essential to the success of that endeavour. I was also encouraged by my meeting with the leadership of the Ansar Allah movement in Sana’a. They assured me that their movement wants an end to the war and will cooperate with the United Nations to make that happen. That message was repeated to me in several other encounters that I was privileged to have with other senior Ansar Allah leaders. I am greatly encouraged by that constructive attitude. I have heard similar views from the leaders of an exceptionally wide variety of Yemeni political parties, and I am grateful to them, too. I have not yet visited the south, but I have started to meet with southern groups. The conflict, as members of the Council can imagine, has brought about major changes on the ground in the southern governorates, and has made the long-standing frustrations and aspirations of southerners more prominent. There will be no peace in Yemen if we do not also listen to the voices of the south and make sure that they are included in the political arrangements that end the war. It is no surprise that stopping a war is not at all the same as building peace, and so it goes in Yemen. We must first turn our energies to the business of stopping the war. The parties necessary for that specific task are those whose decisions can contribute to bringing an end to the war. I have been consistent in delivering the same message to them that that is the first task. A negotiated political settlement through inclusive intra-Yemeni dialogue is the only way to end the Yemeni conflict and address the ongoing humanitarian crisis in an ultimate form. To that end, all parties to the conflict need to abandon preconditions to talks and grant my Office unhindered, unconditional access to all relevant stakeholders, as indeed the Council asserted in its latest presidential statement on this subject, adopted in March (S/PRST/2018/5). Building peace, however, will as always be a larger task, based on different precedents and broader participation. The national dialogue, with its impressive record of inclusion and civic participation, will be a decisive precedent. That will be the agenda of transition — to include reconciliation, which is the first item that requires our attention at the end of a conflict, constitutional review, reconstruction and the rebuilding of State institutions. It is therefore about transforming the State. Making that work will require the full involvement of civil society to ensure that the process goes beyond politics and reflects the aspirations of all Yemenis. I said there was good news, but also bad news. There is a saying that the darkest hour is the one that comes before dawn. Let us hope that this is the case. It will not be news to the members of the Council that the war has, if anything, become louder and more pressing over the last few weeks. I am concerned about the increased number of ballistic missiles launched towards Saudi Arabia, and I note that the Council has already pronounced on that. In addition, I am concerned about the intensified military operations in Sa’dah governorate. Military confrontations and air strikes have continued in numerous other areas of Yemen, including Sana’a, Taiz, Al-Jawf, Ma’rib, Al-Hudaydah, Hajjah, Al-Bayda and Lahij governorates. The clashes continue without major changes on the front lines, but with disturbing reports of civilian casualties. We also — and this is of great importance to us — hear unconfirmed reports that movements of forces in Yemen are on the increase and that the prospect of intensive military operations in Al-Hudaydah, long heralded, may be soon forthcoming. Our concern is simple — that any of those developments would, at a single stroke, take peace off the table. I am convinced that there is a real danger of that. We all need urgently and creatively to find ways to diminish the chances of those game-changing events upsetting and derailing the very real hopes of the great majority of Yemenis. The people of Yemen are desperately in need of signs of hope that the war will soon end. Apart from the urgent requirement for unlimited humanitarian access — as I am certain Mark Lowcock will mention later — there are other measures that may provide some hope. We have, for example, with the encouragement of political leaders from all sides, been working to get Sana’a airport reopened to air traffic and to ensure the right of Yemenis to travel and rejoin their families. We are also eager to arrange the release and exchange of prisoners. Both sides have told me that they would like to see all prisoners released. I am very encouraged by that. We will do all we can to make it happen, and we will report back to the Council on progress. We are also very concerned about the issue of detentions carried out by all sides. We know from experience elsewhere that the arbitrary and widespread detention of civilians in armed conflict is both a terrible abuse and a fundamental impediment to the recovery of a stable society and reconciliation, which is central to peace. Those are important confidence-building issues. Even more important is the heroic work being done daily by humanitarian agencies in Yemen under the leadership of Mark Lowcock and my good friend and colleague Lise Grande. The members of the Council know better than I do the strategic importance of stability in Yemen. It is of primary importance for its people, its neighbours and the wider international community. It can be achieved only by ensuring a stable Yemen where terrorist activity can finally be focused upon and eliminated and the safety of its sea lanes can be relied upon. Making that happen requires an effective synergy between mediation, in which I have a role, and diplomacy, in which the Council does. Mediation without the backing of diplomacy will certainly fail. We will do whatever we can to find agreements that work among Yemenis, but it is for the members of the Council and other Member States, from time to time, to put the force of international opinion behind such agreements, and the Security Council’s unity and resolve will be decisive.

I thank Mr. Griffiths for his briefing. I now give the floor to Mr. Lowcock. Mr. Lowcock: Yemen remains the world’s worst humanitarian crisis. Three quarters of the population — more than 22 million people — urgently require some form of humanitarian help, including 8.4 million people who are struggling to find their next meal. The crisis is overwhelming families and institutions and is now affecting nearly every sector and aspect of Yemeni life. With swift and joint action, conditions for the Yemeni people can improve. On the political front, Special Envoy of the Secretary-General Martin Griffiths just briefed the Security Council. Humanitarian agencies have scaled up assistance and strengthened their capacity in Yemen. The relief operation is one of the largest and most complex in the world. One hundred and ninety partners, most of them Yemeni, get help to millions of people in thousands of locations every single month. Last year, we increased the coverage of food assistance from 3 million people a month in January to more than 7 million a month in December. For 2018, the World Food Programme has plans to reach 10 million people a month, and we are doing the same thing in other sectors, including water, health, sanitation and other core services. The humanitarian operation in Yemen is already one of the largest in the world. We have five humanitarian hubs in place to coordinate assistance across the country, and we are exploring opening more, including in Ma’rib and Mukalla. Every week, dozens of humanitarian movements, including food convoys, and hundreds of specific humanitarian locations are deconflicted by the parties to the conflict. We are able to reach people in all 333 districts, and in each district we aim to collect data on how many people receive aid every month. Earlier this month, Sweden, Switzerland and the Secretary-General co-chaired a pledging conference for Yemen. In the words of the Secretary-General, “It was a remarkable success of international solidarity”. Forty Member States and regional organizations pledged more than $2 billion. I thank them for that generosity. Allow me particularly to recognize the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates for their $930 million contribution to the humanitarian response plan. That was not just an exceptionally large contribution; it was also prompt, swift, unearmarked and unconditional, and it has already been fully disbursed. All parties to the conflict must take practical steps to protect civilians and facilitate humanitarian access, in line with their obligations under international humanitarian law. The record on that issue remains mixed. There have been improvements. United Nations humanitarian flights and vessels are moving regularly. That is positive, but we remain very concerned about commercial imports through all of Yemen’s ports, most particularly Al-Hudaydah and Saleef. Before the war, Yemen relied on imports to cover 90 per cent of staple foods and nearly all its medicine and fuel needs. Commercial shortages and delays at ports have led to sharp increases in the price of food and household necessities. Ports are the lifeline of Yemen. We are doing our part to ensure that they can function properly. I am pleased to confirm that steps are being taken to further strengthen the United Nations Verification and Inspection Mechanism, which screens commercial shipments to Al-Hudaydah and Saleef ports. We are encouraging all those concerned to accelerate the normalization of commercial shipments into Al-Hudaydah and Saleef, as well as to Yemen’s other ports. We are worried that shipping companies are reluctant to enter Yemeni waters. The reasons are related to problems with foreign exchange and the banking sector, as well as the ports, but the result is that insufficient food is being imported. That needs to be addressed. Price increases, especially of food, are forcing hundreds of thousands of destitute families to turn to humanitarian assistance for their very survival. We are also concerned that Sana’a airport remains closed to commercial traffic, thereby preventing thousands of critically ill patients from travelling abroad to seek treatment unavailable in Yemen. On several occasions, over the past month, military activities conducted in the proximity of the airport have affected humanitarian flights. Last week, there were serious incidents close to humanitarian locations that had been deconflicted. We are working closely with all parties to ensure that they are not repeated. Within Yemen, bureaucratic impediments imposed by decision-makers in Sana’a are affecting relief operations. Humanitarian staff continue to face delays with regard to visas and project approvals, restrictions on imports and customs clearance, and long delays and searches at checkpoints. In recent weeks, some of the media in Sana’a have depicted humanitarian operations inaccurately and unjustly, and humanitarian staff have been detained. We are also concerned about insecurity in parts of the country, particularly in the south. While we have partial access to all of Yemen’s 333 districts, restrictions and insecurity mean that an estimated 1.2 million people in need of assistance live in areas inaccessible to humanitarian organizations. All impediments that prevent humanitarians from reaching people must stop. Looking ahead, we continue to face enormous challenges. Unless steps are taken now in high-risk districts, we will risk another major cholera outbreak. Last year’s outbreak of cholera and watery diarrhoea struck more than a million people. The effects continue to linger. As we enter the rainy season, the conditions that created this outbreak are still present. Applying the lessons from last year, we are doing everything we can to respond. Agencies are pre-positioning supplies, chlorinating water sources and launching a vaccination campaign. As with other challenges, a successful response requires safe, unimpeded and unhindered access across and into Yemen for humanitarian staff and humanitarian supplies. We need predictable fuel imports to keep hospitals and water treatment plants running. Yemeni public servants who are doing so much themselves to prepare for and respond to the crisis need their salaries paid. Most health and sanitation workers have still not been paid for more than a year and a half. The impact of air strikes, shelling and fighting on the civilian population, particularly in Al-Hudaydah, Taiz, Saada, Hadramut and Hajjah governorates is deeply worrying. Civilian lives are lost. Public infrastructure is destroyed. Displacement is increasing. Mines and the remnants of war affect agricultural production and the wider economy, as well as threatening civilian life. Some 3 million women and girls are at risk of sexual and gender-based violence. Like the Special Envoy, I too remain very concerned about missiles being launched into Saudi Arabia from within Yemen. That adds a further dimension to the civil war and puts many civilians at great risk. I want to remind all parties that they have obligations under international humanitarian law. Restraint is needed to avoid any escalation that would worsen still further the suffering of ordinary people. While the humanitarian response can do, and is doing, a lot, it cannot resolve this crisis. I therefore echo the Special Envoy’s call for all parties to engage meaningfully with the United Nations without preconditions to achieve a lasting negotiated settlement towards sustainable peace.

I thank Mr. Lowcock for his briefing. I now give the floor to members of the Council who wish to make statements.

I welcome the new Special Envoy and thank him for his briefing. I also thank Mr. Lowcock for his assessment and welcome our Yemeni colleagues. It is a desperate situation and it is clear, as the Special Envoy set out, that it can be resolved, ultimately, only through a political solution. I think we all agree on that. I think what the Under-Secretary-General said about the humanitarian consequences — particularly 8 million people being close to starvation and 1 million people at risk of cholera and similar illnesses — is absolutely shocking and ought to be a spur to action for the Council. I think the international community must do whatever it can to enable the Special Envoy to develop his plan at the pace that he has just outlined to us. I welcome the clarity and the elements of the plan he set out. I hope we can, as an international community, pool all our influence and urge the parties to engage in good faith with the United Nations process. Although the conflict has some quite desperate humanitarian consequences, it is a solvable conflict. The Under-Secretary-General said that if we took swift and joint action, then we could make some very good progress. That is absolutely where we should put our efforts. As a Council, I hope that we can encourage people to grant full and unhindered access to Yemen for the Special Envoy, for his team and for the humanitarian actors. In that respect, the meetings that the Envoy laid out in the region, including in Sana’a with senior Houthi leaders, are extremely welcome. I would like to highlight a couple of areas for specific immediate action. The Under-Secretary-General mentioned financial pledges, and I agree that the scale of the generosity from Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Kuwait are all quite remarkable. We ourselves, as the United Kingdom, have provided $250 million for this year and next. I think we all know that money alone will not be enough. We need to do more to get commercial supplies in. I was concerned about the foreign exchange problem, because in Yemen a lot of the food and supplies that go in need to come from commercial sources. Humanitarian assistance cannot manage the scale required. Commercial shipping needs to be able to go in as it is vital to water and sanitation systems. I do hope we can all find ways to urge collaboration in that regard. My second point is about access to Houthi- controlled areas where we see many severely malnourished children. The presidential statement adopted in March (S/PRST/2018/5) highlighted the importance of vaccination campaigns, as the Under- Secretary General said. Thirdly, I want to echo the call about paying non-military public workers. Families do not have the means to buy food. They do not have the means to buy medicine and half of the health facilities have closed. That is all contributing to a more desperate situation in Yemen than needs to be, objectively, the case. I would now like to turn to regional stability. The conflict’s impact on regional stability is growing and it is dangerous. It puts Saudi Arabia at risk and puts Saudi citizens at risk. The continued Houthi missile attacks, including the use of ballistic missiles, at civilian targets in Saudi Arabia attract our outright condemnation. The deliberate targeting of civilian areas is abhorrent. It is against international law and against international humanitarian law. We call on all parties involved in the conflict to abide by their international humanitarian law obligations. And as the Under-Secretary General set out, that is still not being done to a sufficient degree. I also want to stress that it really is a national security threat to Saudi Arabia and that, in turn, is driving renewed conflict on the ground. So it is vital and I hope the Council can help ensure that all Member States fully implement the arms embargo that the Council has imposed. In particular, the Panel of Experts on Yemen mandated by resolution 2342 (2017) has concluded that missiles and related to material of Iranian origin was introduced into Yemen after the imposition of the targeted arms embargo. That, in turn, means that Iran is in non-compliance with resolution 2216 (2015). We strongly urge Iran to desist from destabilizing activity and we encourage all Member States to use whatever influence they have to ensure that the supply of missiles fuelling the conflict inside Yemen stops. I want to stress the Special Envoy’s remarks about it being possible to make progress. We have within our grasp the ability to do something to help bring this conflict to an end. That is a very important contribution that the Council can make for regional and international peace and security at a time when we see so many problems on so many other issues. I would like to conclude by urging all members of the Council to put our shoulders to the wheel to support the United Nations and to try to bring peace to Yemen.

I thank Mr. Lowcock for his briefing. The delegation of the United States welcomes Special Envoy Griffiths to the Council. He has taken on one of the world’s most difficult diplomatic assignments and we thank him for it. The United States fully supports his efforts to find a political solution to the conflict in Yemen. We especially appreciate that he has quickly reached out to all of the Yemeni parties involved. We hope that all parties will engage with the United Nations without preconditions going forward. The situation in Yemen is an issue on which it should be easy for all members of the Security Council to agree. Yemen is not Syria. We agree that there needs to be peace in Yemen and that the war has taken a horrifying toll on the Yemeni people. Government services, such as schools, hospitals and clean water, barely exist anymore. Such chaos is the perfect environment for terrorist groups, such as Al-Qaida and the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant, to find a safe haven and to plan attacks that could threaten us all. Finding peace is urgent. However, pushing for peace also requires that we do not reward bad behaviour. Iran, and the Houthis in particular, need a much better understanding of our seriousness when it comes to their destabilizing activity. Just because we seek peace does not mean that we look the other way when they take steps to make the war even worse. In order to achieve enduring peace in Yemen, Iran must end its interference and its violations of the arms embargo that the Security Council imposed. Last week, the Houthis launched yet another round of ballistic missiles at Saudi Arabia. At the end of March, debris from a Houthi missile attack against the capital of Saudi Arabia killed a civilian. We warned earlier that it was only a matter of time before the Houthi attacks caused civilian casualties in Saudi Arabia. That prediction has now come true. With each day that passes, the risk of greater regional conflict increases. Yet the Security Council has not acted to hold the Houthis and Iran accountable for weapons that violate the arms embargo and resolution 2216 (2015). We all went to Washington, D.C., to see the missiles first hand and that the missiles found in Saudi Arabia had originated in Iran. The independent and impartial Panel of Experts on Yemen then corroborated what we showed the Council and affirmed Iran’s non-compliance with resolution 2216 (2015). The evidence exists and it is strong. The Houthis did not work out on their own how to build and to fire ballistic missiles more than 1,000 kilometres to hit the Saudi capital. Iran is supporting them. Action by the Security Council to stop the flow of arms to the Houthis would be a step forward in helping to resolve the war. The Houthis must realize that if they continue to use banned weapons of war, the international community will be united in condemning them. The United States supports the ability of our Saudi partners to defend their borders against those threats. In the Council, we will continue to push for real accountability. The Houthis show no sign of stopping their missile launches towards Saudi Arabia. It is imperative that the Security Council come together to make clear that such provocations are unacceptable. We hope that all parties, especially the Houthis, see the arrival of Mr. Griffiths as an opportunity to start down a new path. The time is long past for all parties to show flexibility and restraint in the service of a real negotiated settlement. I suspect that if we could hear from ordinary Yemenis, they would send the same message. The United Nations has emphasized the dire humanitarian stakes. The bottom line is that 18 million Yemenis do not know where their next meal will come from. Something has to change. That is why the United States emphasizes once again that all parties must do more to expand access for commercial goods and humanitarian aid to reach the Yemeni people. We are doing our part. We funded four mobile cranes for the port of Al-Hudaydah, which we expect to increase the flow of goods through the port. The United States also supports the United Nations Verification and Inspection Mechanism for Yemen as a tool that helps address the threat of weapons smuggling, while also helping ships with legitimate cargo to reach Yemen. It is vital that the port of Hudaydah remain open to commercial and humanitarian traffic, and we appreciate the steps that the parties have taken to keep the port functioning. Beyond reaching the port, aid workers should be able to move freely throughout the country in order to deliver the humanitarian assistance to those in need. The United States has also joined donors in taking steps to respond to the humanitarian crisis. We have announced nearly $87 million in humanitarian aid to Yemen this fiscal year. We applaud Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates in particular for putting forward almost $1 billion towards the United Nations humanitarian response. As long as the war continues, the parties must be careful how they plan and carry out attacks so as to reduce human suffering on the ground. We have called on all parties to take appropriate measures to mitigate the risk of civilian casualties and damage to civilian infrastructure. The United States is working to provide support to the Saudi-led coalition, while minimizing the number of civilian casualties. The Houthis must halt their indiscriminate shelling and ensure that humanitarian aid is delivered without any diversion or delays. The war in Yemen is at a critical turning point. We have a new Envoy, who is ready to promote peace. The Security Council can take steps to address the provocations by the Houthis from ballistic missiles, to promote humanitarian access and to support a return to talks. Those are the goals that we all ought to share. As the Security Council, we should therefore not hesitate to take action to achieve them. That means not being afraid to identify the Houthis and their Iranian patrons by name in future resolutions. That means actually leaning on the parties to negotiate in good faith in the United Nations process. That means responding generously to the United Nations humanitarian appeals and standing by our demands for unfettered humanitarian access. If we do those things, we can lay the groundwork for an enduring political settlement.

I would like to begin by welcoming Special Envoy Martin Griffiths to the Security Council in his new role for the first time and to thank him for his very clear briefing this morning. We share his deep concern about the risks of escalation. However, we also see the opportunities that he outlined. As he pointed out, in Yemen the stakes are high whether with regard to the humanitarian situation, regional stability or the spread of terrorism. I would like to encourage him to continue to reach out to those strong and women peers to whom he referred. It is clear to us that the active participation of women in the peace process will be decisive. I also wish to thank Under- Secretary-General Lowcock for his briefing today, as well as for his efforts to address the humanitarian situation in Yemen and to ensure that it remains high on our agenda and that of the international community. I will focus on two points in my intervention: first, the political situation and the need to strongly support the resumption of a United Nations-led political process; and, secondly, the humanitarian situation and the need to implement the March presidential statement (S/PRST/2018/5). First, on the political situation, the appointment of Special Envoy Martin Griffiths provides an opportunity to relaunch the political process in Yemen. It is essential that the Council now unite in giving the Special Envoy its strong support and that we stay focused on making use of this opportunity. The members of the Council and regional actors must now use all their influence to ensure that all the parties engage with the Special Envoy and the United Nations-led process in good faith and without preconditions. We encourage the parties to now move forward quickly on confidence-building measures, such as those related to Sana’a airport and the release of prisoners. It also seems clear that the southern question will need to be addressed in those discussions. Mr. Griffiths has made a very good start to his challenging task. We are encouraged by his early visit to Yemen and the region, and we fully support the efforts to pursue broad consultations with an inclusive approach. Full and unhindered access to all the relevant parties in Yemen is critical. Moving on to the humanitarian situation, on 15 March the Security Council unanimously adopted a statement by the President (S/PRST/2018/5) that recognizes the vast humanitarian needs and the immediate steps that must be taken in order to alleviate the suffering of the Yemeni people. Those steps were based on the obligation of the parties to respect international law, including international humanitarian law and international human rights law. However, regrettably, the implementation of that strong and clear statement by the Council is clearly lacking. Restrictions, delays and uncertainty at ports, such as Al-Hudaydah and Saleef, hinder humanitarian and commercial imports. Delays and obstacles to the clearance process of the United Nations Verification and Inspection Mechanism for Yemen for vessels continue and act as a deterrent to private shipping companies. Even when supplies reach the country, access within it remains a serious challenge owing to the many bureaucratic impediments and checkpoints. To date, no humanitarian evacuations, even for emergency treatment, have been allowed through Sana’a airport. Strikes on civilians and civilian infrastructure continue from all sides. We have also seen renewed missile attacks from Houthi-held territory targeting Saudi Arabia, which our Foreign Minister has strongly condemned. Clearly, the violations of international humanitarian law continue, and accountability for such violations remains to be attributed. It is time to move from words to action with respect to the situation in Yemen. It is time for the Council to demand that its decisions be implemented in full. It is time to actively and urgently engage the parties and to ensure that the will of the Council is heeded. Sweden’s Special Envoy for Yemen, Ambassador Peter Semneby, visited Sana’a and Aden in late March. While there, he met with representatives of the Yemeni Government, the Houthis, the General People’s Congress and the Southern Transitional Council. He also met with the international, regional and local civil society actors, as well as internally displaced persons and other victims of the conflict. During his visit, the Ambassador urged the parties to engage with the United Nations-led political process and to respect international humanitarian law, including protecting civilians and eliminating all obstacles to humanitarian assistance. The presidential statement provided by the Council provides a good basis for such discussions and should be used by all Council members. Despite the many and well-known challenges, in his meetings, the parties showed the same signs of an increased willingness to engage in a United Nations-led process that Mr. Griffiths referred to earlier today. We must use that momentum. As one of the co-hosts of the high-level pledging event for Yemen in Geneva on 3 April, we wish to join Mr. Lowcock in thanking all those donors that participated, resulting in pledges of over $2 billion to the Yemen humanitarian response plan. The pledges made by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates will contribute significantly to the implementation of the United Nations emergency response plan. We now call on all donors to make their disbursements as soon as possible. The panel discussion on humanitarian access that formed part of that conference demonstrated with clarity how difficult it is for United Nations agencies and other humanitarian actors to operate in Yemen. It is clear that without addressing that fundamental issue, the funds raised will not be able to reach those in need as effectively as they should. In conclusion, the 15 March presidential statement was our strongest yet on the humanitarian situation in Yemen. It reflected the urgency on the ground; however, over one month later this urgency remains. We must make every effort to ensure implementation, while, at the same time supporting the Special Envoy. The desperate situation in Yemen demands greater attention by the international community, and the Council should further step up its efforts in the coming weeks and months to provide united support.

At the outset, I should like to thank Martin Griffiths for his very detailed and illuminating briefing and for his initial assessment of the steps needed to revive political negotiations in the difficult situation we are seeing. I would like to assure the Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for Yemen of the full support and faith of France. I also thank Mr. Mark Lowcock for his efforts and for his briefing, which shows how worrying the situation is in Yemen. Today I will focus on three points: the growing intensity of the Yemeni conflict and the regional impact of the crisis; the ongoing deterioration of the humanitarian situation; and the need to relaunch the political process. We are all aware of the gravity of the situation in Yemen. France has consistently called on the parties to resume the path of negotiations under the auspices of the United Nations without preconditions, because, as we all know, there is no military solution to the conflict. We also emphasize the urgent need to lay down weapons. In that context, the latest firing of missiles into Saudi Arabia is unacceptable and must stop. In addition to the gravity of those indiscriminate missile launches and their impact on regional security and stability, they reduce the potential of a political outcome in Yemen. We have repeatedly expressed our concern about the launching of Houthi ballistic missiles into Saudi Arabia and the Red Sea and have condemned those launches. In this extremely tense regional context, we call for calm from the parties. Let us also bear in mind that the continuation of the conflict benefits only terrorist groups, who use the chaos to strengthen and expand their presence. That is an important factor that must bring us together. The first victims of this conflict are civilians, in a context where the humanitarian situation continues to deteriorate. This humanitarian crisis is among the most serious in the world. We have repeatedly welcomed the announcement of the Coalition’s humanitarian plan, which is a positive and encouraging step. We also welcome the adoption of the recent presidential statement S/PRST/2018/5, which defines the humanitarian road map. Finally, the donor conference held earlier this month in Geneva enabled the mobilization of about $2 billion for the 2018 Yemen humanitarian response plan. That is a very good result, even though the gap has not yet been completely filled. In that context, access to humanitarian aid remains our main concern. It is crucial that all parties ensure rapid, safe and unimpeded access for humanitarian assistance and commercial supplies to those in need. Access to all ports and airports, including the ports of Al-Hudayda, Saleef and Sana’a airport, must be fully assured and kept open. In that regard, we welcome the United Nations Verification and Inspection Mechanism, which is intended to shorten the waiting time for commercial vessels. It is essential that supplies cover all needs, be they food, medicine or gasoline. The current coverage rate is still insufficient, especially for fuel. Another top priority is to ensure full respect for international humanitarian law in order to protect civilian populations and humanitarian and medical personnel. The parties must respect the zones and periods reserved for the arrival of supplies and humanitarian and medical personnel. I am referring in particular to Sana’a airport. We remain concerned about the situation of displaced persons, and specifically about the vulnerability of over 3 million women at risk of sexual violence, as well as the threat of a new cholera and diphtheria epidemic in the coming months. The parties must help the United Nations respond to that danger in at-risk regions. France will remain fully mobilized to concretely improve the situation of the Yemeni population. The President of France, Emmanuel Macron, has announced that a humanitarian conference on Yemen will be held by this summer in Paris in order to launch new initiatives for the civilian population and better protect them from violations of international humanitarian law. Naturally, we wish to be in close contact with the Special Envoy, Mr. Martin Griffiths, but also with Mr. Mark Lowcock, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, as well as relevant United Nations agencies in order to prepare this conference properly. In that critical context, we must, alongside our humanitarian commitment, remain more mobilized than ever to support a new political dynamic — the only sustainable outcome to this conflict. The arrival of Martin Griffiths gives the opportunity to all parties to re-engage seriously without preconditions in the negotiations. To carry out its mission, the Special Envoy must have access to all regions and countries where he wishes to go, without any party preventing or jeopardizing his movements. In the same spirit, we must continue to convey to regional actors a clear message on the need to play a responsible and constructive role in Yemen. We believe that everyone can contribute to a solution. Our common goal must be to achieve a lasting cessation of hostilities and to encourage the parties, in support of United Nations mediation, to resume dialogue for a comprehensive and inclusive political agreement, while respecting the territorial integrity of the country. Finally, the unity of the Security Council is of vital importance, and we — individually and collectively — have a role to play in that regard. The robust and united support of the international community is indeed essential if we are to prompt the parties to resume the path of dialogue. Despite the scale of the difficulties we are experiencing, there is now an encouraging alignment of the planets that could create a historic opportunity to end the Yemeni conflict. Let us work together to bring about the conditions for such an outcome by supporting the Special Envoy. Council members can rest assured of France’s firm commitment to that end.

The Kingdom of the Netherlands would like to start by expressing its sincere thanks to both our briefers, Special Envoy of the Secretary-General Martin Griffiths and Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Mark Lowcock, for their very clear and comprehensive briefings. I would also like to take this opportunity to welcome Mr. Griffiths to the Security Council and to reiterate our full support for his efforts. Today I would like to focus on three aspects: the peace process, the enduring humanitarian crisis and the need to address Yemen’s economic challenges. First, with regard to the political process, 2018 could be a crucial year. The appointment of a new envoy brings with it opportunities for renewed dialogue — dialogue that is so desperately needed as we move into the conflict’s fourth year. It is up to all parties to the conflict to seize these opportunities and do so without preconditions. We condemn the continued launching of ballistic missiles by the Houthis and call on all parties to the conflict to refrain from taking steps that would lead to further escalation. We welcome the Special Envoy’s extensive and inclusive outreach in his first weeks in office, during which he spoke to Yemenis from all sides of the conflict, as well as countries in the region. I would particularly like to welcome what the Special Envoy said about including women in that outreach. We strongly support that inclusive approach and call on all parties to allow full access to the Special Envoy. In absence of a ceasefire, the impact of hostilities on civilians remains of great concern. Human rights violations and violations of international humanitarian law are being reported too often. We once again urgently call for full compliance with international humanitarian law by all parties to the conflict. As the war drags on, the need for accountability becomes ever more prominent. Without it, a negotiated political settlement has little chance of sustaining itself. Secondly, in the absence of a political settlement, we call the Council’s attention to the humanitarian crisis. The pledging of $2 billion at the humanitarian conference in Geneva is a positive step. We welcome the quick disbursement of the generous pledge of almost $1 billion by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. We call on all Member States to follow this example and disburse their pledges as soon as possible. At the same time, pledges mean little if access is not ensured. We call for the full implementation of the presidential statement of 15 March (S/PRST/2018/5), particularly the Council’s clear call for the full and sustained opening of all Yemen’s ports for both humanitarian and commercial goods. It is deeply worrying that commercial food imports are still not at the level that they were before the blockade was imposed in November 2017. At the start of 2018, 8.4 million people were severely food insecure and at risk of starvation, which represents a 24 per cent increase since 2017. The United Nations Verification and Inspection Mechanism for Yemen (UNVIM) has a crucial role to play in restoring the confidence of commercial shippers that have stayed away since the start of the blockade. UNVIM has our full support, and we welcome the recent steps taken to address this issue. It is equally important that goods that have entered Yemen reach the people who need them the most. Unimpeded access throughout Yemen is essential, and unnecessary bureaucratic impediments should be removed by all parties. My third point is about the economy. Yemen cannot survive on humanitarian aid alone. Due to inflation and loss of income for many Yemenis, access to commercially available supplies is rapidly decreasing. It is essential that public sector salaries be paid across Yemen — not only to provide income to millions of Yemenis in need but also to enable the resumption of essential public services, especially in the health and sanitation sectors. With summer approaching, the threat of a renewed cholera outbreak makes this issue even more pressing. In conclusion, the following steps need to be taken by all parties to the conflict. Further escalation must be prevented. Parties must engage with the new Special Envoy without preconditions. Full and sustained humanitarian and commercial access into and throughout Yemen must be allowed. Urgent steps must be taken to resume the payment of salaries and restore public services. After more than three years of conflict, the Yemeni people deserve nothing less than our maximum efforts.

I would like to begin by once again congratulating once again Mr. Martin Griffiths on his appointment as Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for Yemen. I wish him and his team every success. We express our appreciation to Mr. Griffiths and to Under-Secretary-General Mark Lowcock, and thank them for their valuable and important briefings on developments pertaining to the humanitarian and political situation in Yemen. I would like to emphasize three major points today: the political and security developments, the humanitarian situation and the message that the Security Council must send out. With regard to the political and security developments, we have heard just now on the political level from Mr. Griffiths about the outcome of a number of meetings he held with Yemeni parties since he took up his role as Special Envoy. I would like to express our full support for his efforts as well as the efforts of the United Nations to resolve the conflict in Yemen in a peaceful manner. The State of Kuwait is convinced that there can be no military or humanitarian solution for Yemen. The solution will have to be political and it must be based on the three political references — the Gulf Cooperation Council Initiative, the outcome of the National Dialogue and the relevant Security Council resolutions, including resolution 2216 (2015). Furthermore, we welcome the 19 March statement issued by Mr. Griffiths’s Office where he says that he plans to revive the political process between the Yemeni parties in accordance with those three references, and to complete previous consultations, including consultations that took place in Kuwait in 2016 during which both parties were almost ready to sign an agreement putting an end to the fighting and the suffering of the Yemeni people. On the security front, the deliberate attacks by the Houthis against populated areas in Saudi Arabia show that Houthis are defying the will of the international community and working against a political solution to put an end to the suffering of the Yemeni people. We reiterate our condemnation in the strongest terms of the attacks using ballistic missiles against Saudi Arabia, the threats made against neighbouring countries, as well as the threats made to maritime shipping at Bab- Almandab in the Red Sea. All of those aspects are a danger for regional and international peace. We support the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in all measures that it is planning to take in order to safeguard its security and stability. The Security Council also adopted a very clear, explicit and unified position to condemn the ballistic- missile attacks against the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The presidential statement of 15 March (S/PRST/2018/5) condemned in the strongest terms the ballistic-missile attacks. Later, on 28 March, the Council issued a statement to the press (SC/13270) in which it robustly condemned the ballistic-missile attacks, which had targeted cities in Saudi Arabia, including the capital Riyadh, and demanded an end to such attacks. In response, the Houthis have done nothing but continue to launch missiles, which shows once again that they are in clear defiance and not being earnest. They stick to military escalation and violence, and not to peace and dialogue. We underscore that all Member States must respect the arms embargo pursuant to resolution 2216 (2015). With regard to the humanitarian situation, we welcome the outcome of the donor conference on the humanitarian situation in Yemen, which was held in Geneva and organized by the United Nations, Switzerland and Sweden. The conference was able to garner contributions amounting to $2 billion dollars. At that conference, the State of Kuwait pledged to provide $250 million in humanitarian assistance to Yemen. We call on members to uphold those commitments given the urgent humanitarian needs in Yemen. We also welcome the $1 billion joint contribution announced by Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, as well as the generous contributions of the United Kingdom and other countries. We hope that those contributions will improve the humanitarian situation in Yemen this year. Pertaining to the Security Council message, the Council must remain unified and firm in the light of the crisis in Yemen. The Council must send a clear message to all parties in Yemen, in particular the Houthis, that they cannot continue to defy Security Council resolutions and international law and refrain from engaging in the political process. It is unacceptable to put personal interests and political ambitions over the interests of an entire people. It is also unacceptable at all that ballistic missile attacks continue to be carried out against neighbouring countries, threatening vessels crossing Bab-Almandab and the Red Sea. That is a serious threat to regional and international peace and security. The ideal solution to the crisis must be centred on the three reference points I mentioned and must ensure the unity, independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity of Yemen and respect for its constitutional order. Any interference in Yemen’s internal affairs must be rejected. That was affirmed at the Arab summit held in Saudi Arabia a few days ago. We urge the Yemeni stakeholders to work together with the Special Envoy in that regard.

I join others in congratulating Special Envoy Martin Griffiths on his first briefing in the Chamber. I thank him for his initial report and convey our readiness to extend our full support to him and his mission. I also thank Under- Secretary-General Mark Lowcock for his briefing. We commend the sterling contribution of the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) and the World Health Organization (WHO), especially in providing increased medical supplies and rendering life-saving services and surgical procedures. Kazakhstan reiterates its support for the selfless commitment of OCHA and other humanitarian organizations to easing the suffering of the Yemeni people in their present difficult circumstances. Since the start of this month, humanitarian partners have provided about 60,000 people with emergency assistance. Over 2 million people, 90 per cent of whom fled their homes more than a year ago, still remain displaced across the country owing to the conflict. It is necessary to increase humanitarian emergency aid and provide unhindered access to all areas of Yemen. We emphasize that all obligations under international humanitarian law must be respected and all parties must take responsibility to mitigate the humanitarian situation by cooperating fully with the United Nations and relevant humanitarian organizations. The large-scale vaccination campaign to control the spread of diphtheria in Yemen, undertaken by WHO, UNICEF and health authorities, is noteworthy. That campaign targeted nearly 2.7 million children between the ages of 6 weeks and 15 years old in 11 governorates. As of 1 March, the World Food Programme had provided over 6 million people with emergency food assistance and nearly 2 million people with safe drinking water by rehabilitating urban water systems and rural water programmes and water was delivered to nearly 375,000 of the most vulnerable internally displaced persons. My delegation welcomes the coalition’s decision to keep open all of Yemen’s main ports, including Al-Hudaydah and Saleef, in order to allow access to humanitarian and commercial cargo without restrictions, similar to the previous situation when Yemen was importing 90 per cent of its food staples. Maintaining the flow of those imports is absolutely essential for humanitarian assistance. On the political track, we are alarmed by the resurgence of hostilities in Yemen, particularly in Yemen’s southern Al-Hudaydah governorate, which is about 100 kilometres south of Al-Hudaydah port, and in the Sana’a governorate in northern Yemen. Air strikes and clashes have also intensified in neighbouring Al-Jawf governorate. Kazakhstan therefore calls on all parties to commit themselves to establishing a new regime for the cessation of hostilities. Such a temporary respite would create conditions for the resumption of negotiations. It is obvious that solving all outstanding issues and stabilizing the country will require many years of additional effort and the involvement of the international community. However, the cessation of hostilities will provide an opportunity to revive the economy, resolve the humanitarian crisis and restore basic public services to the population, which has been severely affected over the past three years. Achieving that goal should be a priority for the Council. In general, the Security Council should work more resolutely to resolve the Yemeni conflict and focus on stabilizing the situation in the entire region, combating terrorism, implementing the humanitarian mission in order to preserve civilian lives, and bringing about an end to the war in the country. The Special Envoy plays a key role in that regard. We have repeatedly said that balanced external support for a settlement in Yemen could effectively complement the work of the Special Envoy. The search for a peaceful resolution to the conflict through dialogue and confidence-building measures should be intensified, and an urgent, universal ceasefire without preconditions must be reached. Victory cannot be achieved exclusively by military means. It is necessary to prevent the splitting of the country. All parties in Yemen must seek compromises and reject unilateral decisions that could harm the peace process. At the same time, the parties to the conflict are obliged to refrain from committing acts that could lead to an escalation of the regional situation and insecurity. It is not acceptable to conduct rocket attacks against civilian targets on the territory of Saudi Arabia, and Kazakhstan strongly condemns those attacks. All parties should exercise restraint amid mounting tensions. A military escalation is not a solution. Yemen is the world’s worst humanitarian crisis, with more than 22 million people — three quarters of the population — in need of humanitarian aid and protection. Under such critical conditions, it is important that the United Nations initiate a plan for further action. We were pleased that, in Geneva on 3 April, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait and more than 30 other countries generously pledged over $2 billion to support the humanitarian response in Yemen. Kazakhstan was also part of that effort. We endorse the Secretary-General’s view that humanitarian resources are very important, but they are not enough. It is essential that they reach people in need. Lastly, we also call upon the parties to the conflict to demonstrate sincerity and flexibility, to avoid disagreements in the course of consultations and to properly resolve complex issues, in particular the withdrawal of forces, disarmament and the formation of a Government of national consent, in order to achieve a comprehensive settlement, taking into account the national conditions in Yemen and the concerns of all parties. We fully agree with the words of the Secretary- General that a negotiated political settlement, through inclusive intra-Yemeni dialogue, is the only solution.

Let me begin by welcoming the new Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for Yemen, Mr. Martin Griffiths, and by expressing Poland’s full support to him and his Office in their endeavour to relaunch the political process in Yemen. I also thank Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Mark Lowcock for his comprehensive briefing on the humanitarian situation in the country. First, I would like to underline the urgent need to resume the political process in Yemen. Poland is deeply convinced that the primary responsibility of the Security Council is to pave the way for a peaceful solution to the conflict. Let me echo what has been said by many speakers. Only a genuine, inclusive, intra-Yemeni political process can bring about long-standing peace and put an end to the tremendous suffering of civilians, who continue to bear the brunt of ongoing hostilities. We perceive Mr. Griffiths’s assumption of the post of Special Envoy as a unique opportunity to resume peace negotiations, which should be carried out with the full participation of all relevant parties and stakeholders, as well as all groups of Yemeni society, including women and youth. We encourage actors in the region with influence on the parties to the conflict to convince them to engage constructively with Mr. Griffiths and his Office and to participate in the United Nations-led process in good faith and without preconditions. Let me turn to the humanitarian situation. I would like to express Poland’s highest appreciation to the Governments of Sweden and Switzerland, which, together with the United Nations, hosted the high-level pledging event for Yemen earlier this month. Like other members of the Council, we welcome the outcome of that event, which confirmed the commitment of the international community to alleviating the suffering of the Yemeni people. As we have heard from Mr. Mark Lowcock, despite some positive developments, the humanitarian situation in Yemen remains desperate. The widespread fighting, severe economic decline and food insecurity continue to take an enormous toll on the population. We believe that, in order to improve the situation of civilians, it is essential to ensure that public sector salaries are paid across Yemen in order to enable the resumption of essential public services, including health care and education. Sustained deliveries of humanitarian and commercial goods, including food, fuel and medical imports, must be guaranteed. Therefore, we urge all parties to the conflict to fully comply with the provisions of the presidential statement adopted by the Council on 15 March (S/PRST/2018/5) and ensure that all Yemeni ports remain open and fully functional. We also urge the parties to facilitate access for humanitarian operations across the whole territory. With regard to the ongoing hostilities in Yemen, we again call upon the parties to refrain from taking action that might lead to the escalation of fighting. Poland strongly condemns all indiscriminate attacks, including air strikes, which have a disastrous impact on civilians. We also strongly condemn ballistic- missile attacks carried out by the Houthis against Saudi Arabia. All parties are obliged under international humanitarian law to ensure the protection of civilians and humanitarian infrastructure. We also call upon all sides to fully cooperate with the group of international and regional eminent experts on Yemen to allow for a comprehensive examination of all alleged human rights violations and abuses. Finally, we reiterate the call for a cessation of hostilities in Yemen.

I would like to thank the Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for Yemen, Mr. Griffiths, and Under-Secretary-General Lowcock for their briefings. We welcome Mr. Griffiths’s assumption of the important post of Special Envoy. Yemen’s political process is currently at a stalemate, military conflicts continue and the humanitarian crisis remains serious. The international community should step up its mediation efforts, encourage all parties in Yemen to broker a ceasefire and return to the path to a political solution in order to achieve peace, security and stability in Yemen as soon as possible. A political solution is the only way to achieve lasting peace in Yemen. The international community should continue to support Yemen’s sovereignty, independence, unity and territorial integrity. It is imperative to support the meditation efforts of the United Nations, on the basis of the relevant Security Council resolutions, the Gulf Cooperation Council Initiative, its Implementation Mechanism and the National Dialogue Conference outcome documents, and engage in dialogue and negotiations in order to reach an inclusive settlement to the issue as soon as possible. The Security Council and relevant parties should remain united, support the mediation efforts of Special Envoy Griffiths, strengthen efforts for peace talks and negotiations and encourage all parties to the conflict to break the stalemate as soon as possible in order to resolve their differences through dialogue and negotiations. It is important to support the Special Envoy in his efforts to develop a road map or plan of action as soon as possible towards a political solution to the situation in Yemen. The international community and countries of the region should provide constructive assistance in that regard. The current humanitarian situation in Yemen is dire. Cholera persists and millions of people face severe famine. The international community should provide greater humanitarian assistance to alleviate the suffering of the Yemeni people. China welcomes the successful holding of the Geneva high-level pledging event for the humanitarian crisis in Yemen in Geneva. Through bilateral means and its cooperation with the World Health Organization and the World Food Programme, China has provided humanitarian assistance to Yemen totalling RMB150 million, in order to ease the famine and eradicate cholera. We will continue to provide assistance to the people of Yemen to the best of our ability. Ensuring smooth humanitarian access to Yemen is key to mitigating the humanitarian crisis. The relevant parties should work together to provide safe and unhindered humanitarian access to create the conditions to ease the humanitarian situation in Yemen. China is ready to work with all parties to support the work of the Special Envoy and continue to play a constructive role in the situation in Yemen.

My delegation thanks the Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for Yemen, Mr. Martin Griffiths, for his briefing. We take this opportunity to assure him of our full support in the work ahead. We also thank Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Mark Lowcock for his informative briefing. Regrettably, we face a disheartening situation in Yemen. Once again, we deplore the fact that, in spite of the Security Council’s repeated calls for the parties to resume political dialogue and end the severe humanitarian crisis plaguing the country — described by Under-Secretary-General Lowcock as the worst humanitarian crisis — we continue to witness an increase in the number of armed clashes. Violence has escalated in the governorates of Al-Hudaydah, Ta’iz, Saad and Al-Jawf, among others. There have been reports of air strikes and armed clashes, which, according to a report issued on 9 April by the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, have caused the deaths of at least 41 people in March and April. In addition, ongoing clashes have led to the displacement of more than 85,000 people who have been forced to leave their homes since December last year, thereby increasing the total number of internally displaced persons to more than 2 million people. Similarly, there are growing reports about the recruitment of children as combatants. According to a report issued by UNICEF on 27 March, since 2015 at least 2,400 children have been recruited as fighters amid threats and promises of financial compensation to their families. More over, the dire humanitarian crisis must contend not only the problem of food insecurity, which has put 8.4 million people at risk of famine and 60 per cent of the population at risk of food insecurity, but also the cholera outbreak that has affected nearly 1.1 million people in 22 of the 23 governorates of Yemen and caused more than 2,200 deaths since its outbreak in April 2017. Unfortunately, that situation is exacerbated by the dangerous diphtheria outbreak, which, according to a 17 March report published by the World Health Organization, has recorded more than 1,300 infected people and 76 confirmed deaths so far this year. Against that backdrop, my delegation reiterates once again its call for the Council to maintain a unanimous and firm position on condemning the belligerent acts and campaigns that aggravate the crisis in Yemen and recklessly threaten the lives of 27 million innocent people. We must also be consistent in categorically condemning and rejecting any indiscriminate attacks against the civilian population, including, of course, missile launches and air strikes, as such acts constitute flagrant violations of international law, Likewise, our voice must be clear and determined in calling on all parties to guarantee the full and continuous operation of all ports, airports and access routes, especially the Al-Hudaydah and Saleef ports and the Sana’a airport, since they are lifelines for the population’s survival. We also call on the parties to comply with the presidential statements adopted on 15 March (S/PRST/2018/5) and 15 June 2017 (S/PRST/2017/7) and to definitively implement the provisions of resolution 2216 (2015). To that end, the parties must abandon any preconditions to engaging in dialogue, cease hostilities immediately and commit to taking up negotiations, which would enable an inclusive and orderly political transition in line with the demands and aspirations of the Yemeni people within the framework of respect for the sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity of the Republic of Yemen. In that vein, we recall the words of the Secretary- General on 13 April, when he stated in this Chamber that “There is only one pathway to ending the Yemeni conflict and to addressing the humanitarian crisis: a negotiated political settlement through inclusive intra-Yemeni dialogue.” (S/PV.8231, p. 2)

Côte d’Ivoire would like to thank Mr. Mark Lowcock, Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, for his briefing on the humanitarian situation in Yemen. My delegation would also like to take the opportunity of the first briefing delivered by Mr. Martin Griffiths, the new Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for Yemen, to congratulate him on his appointment and wish him every success in the discharge of his duties. Three years after the outbreak of the conflict in Yemen, my delegation remains particularly concerned about the ongoing deterioration of the humanitarian situation, which has been described by the United Nations as the worst humanitarian crisis in the world. Indeed, the statistics are particularly alarming, with nearly 10,000 human lives lost, 3 million displaced and more than 24 million people suffering from malnutrition, including 2.4 million children, not to mention the threat of famine and the devastation caused by the cholera epidemic affecting the population. In view of the gravity of the situation, Côte d’Ivoire appeals for international solidarity. In that regard, it welcomes the donors’ conference held in Geneva on 3 April, which resulted in more than $2 billion in pledges under Yemen’s humanitarian response plan. My country thanks all donors for that outpouring of solidarity, and especially welcomes the commitment by Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates to raise an additional $500 million from donors in the region. Despite our joint efforts, the humanitarian situation in Yemen will continue to deteriorate in the absence of a viable political prospect. My delegation deplores the current political impasse and calls for a peaceful settlement of the conflict through an inclusive political process involving all Yemeni stakeholders. It urges the international community, faced with the confirmed risk of destabilizing the entire region, to invest more in the pursuit of a peaceful solution to the crisis, which has gone on too long. My country believes that the international community’s political efforts to find a peaceful solution to the Yemeni crisis will be completely futile if they are not accompanied by significant progress on the ground. The implementation of a comprehensive ceasefire and the resumption of political negotiations for lasting peace, under the auspices of the United Nations, are today the only way out of the crisis to which the entire international community must commit. In that regard, Côte d’Ivoire welcomes the efforts of the United Nations to give new impetus to the peace talks and political dialogue. It especially welcomes the recent visits of the new Special Envoy to Riyadh and Sana’a, as part of the consultations with the Yemeni parties, which are encouraging signs of a renewed political process. In conclusion, my delegation reaffirms its commitment to the unity, sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity of Yemen. It calls on the parties to the conflict to return to the negotiating table with a view to achieving a peaceful settlement to the crisis.

We thank the Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for Yemen, Mr. Martin Griffiths, for his maiden briefing. We congratulate him on his appointment and express our support to him as he embarks on his heavy responsibilities of facilitating a diplomatic solution for the Yemeni crisis. We find it encouraging that he has already started engaging with the parties and building the necessary cooperative relationships that will be imperative in the revitalization of the political process. Listening to the views of the Yemenis themselves is indeed absolutely important. We recognize that the crisis in Yemen requires a high sense of urgency, but we also believe that support, understanding and patience from all parties, including the Council, are needed so that the new Special Envoy can formulate a comprehensive way forward that will be effective in ending the conflict. The Special Envoy also emphasized that point in his briefing, and we look forward to the new framework for negotiation, which he plans to present in the coming two months. We also thank Under-Secretary-General Mark Lowcock for his briefing, and we reiterate our appreciation to the United Nations and its humanitarian partners for their continued selfless service to provide aid under difficult conditions. As the war enters its fourth year, we remain deeply concerned by the multifaceted and complex crisis in Yemen, which continues to have a devastating impact on civilians. In that regard, we thank the United Nations and the Governments of Sweden and Switzerland for hosting a high-level pledging event in Geneva on 3 April. We also thank all donors for pledging to provide more than $2 billion. We hope that the funds pledged will be disbursed rapidly to finance the Yemen 2018 humanitarian response plan. As mentioned by the Secretary-General and Under-Secretary-General Lowcock during the event, in addition to the financial aspect, the success of the plan to reach all Yemenis in need of aid requires safe, unimpeded and sustained humanitarian access. We are still of the belief that the only solution to the Yemeni crisis is a peaceful and inclusive Yemeni- led political process that meets the legitimate demands and aspirations of the Yemeni people, in full respect of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the country. We also believe that the concerns of countries in the region need to be addressed. In that regard, we reiterate our support for the presidential statement adopted on 15 March (S/PRST/2018/5) and the 28 March press statement (SC/13270), which enabled the Council to speak with one voice, underscoring, inter alia, the need for all parties to return to dialogue as the only means of delivering a negotiated political settlement. We call on all parties to fully implement them and engage constructively with Special Envoy Griffiths in the resumption of political dialogue and agreement on the cessation of hostilities. They should seize the appointment of the new Special Envoy as an opportunity and demonstrate the necessary political will to work with him towards reaching a deal, which today he said is possible, and bring an end to the war. Finally, we believe that the international solidarity demonstrated during the pledging event should also be repeated to find a durable political solution to end the worst humanitarian tragedy of our time. We cannot agree more with what the Special Envoy said with respect to the strategic importance of ending the crisis in Yemen, not only for the sake of Yemenis themselves, who have endured so much over the past four years, but also for the sake of peace and stability in the region and, indeed, the world.

We would first like to congratulate Mr. Martin Griffiths on his recent appointment as Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for Yemen and to thank him for his excellent, clear and informative briefing. Although his briefing was only preliminary, as he indicated, we found it very detailed and comprehensive. We wish him every success in the work that the Secretary-General entrusted to him in Yemen, and we fully support him and his entire team in carrying out their work. We would also like to thank Mr. Mark Lowcock, Under- Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, for his detailed and vivid briefing, which, as always, has given us a clear idea of the situation on the ground. Our thanks also go to Mr. Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed, Mr. Griffiths’s predecessor as Special Envoy, who during nearly three years in that role did his utmost to find a viable solution to the conflict in Yemen. We wish him every success with his new responsibilities. I will touch on three aspects of this issue that will somewhat echo the views of our friends from the Dutch delegation. First, concerning the attacks on Saudi Arabia, Equatorial Guinea firmly condemns the ballistic- missile attacks allegedly launched on 25 March by Houthis at the Saudi Arabian cities of Riyadh, Khamis Mushait, Najran and Jizan. They endangered civilian areas and caused a number of fatalities. The growing number of such incidents, which was the bad news that Mr. Griffiths gave us this morning, shows that those weapons have fallen into the hands of non-State actors in violation of the arms embargo imposed on Yemen in accordance with resolutions 2216 (2015) and 2402 (2018). We therefore call on Council members to take a united position condemning those attacks and, where appropriate, to identify and sanction anyone who has helped to violate the relevant Security Council resolutions on the arms embargo, so as to prevent any further escalation of this unending and troubling conflict, which has resulted in the worst humanitarian crisis that Yemen has ever known, and especially now that actors are trying to harm populations well beyond their national borders. Secondly, we are very concerned about the impasse in the political situation in Yemen. The military conflict persists, the political process has failed to yield satisfactory results and the humanitarian situation continues to deteriorate. It is therefore important that the parties involved in the Yemeni crisis understand that a political process involving direct, sincere and inclusive dialogue is the only way to arrive at a lasting solution to this grave situation. The warring parties in Yemen must support the efforts of the United Nations based on the relevant Security Council resolutions and the Initiative of the Gulf Cooperation Council. In that regard, Special Envoy Griffiths told us this morning that the good news is that a political solution is within reach, and that it can be achieved through the establishment of a transitional, inclusive Government and dialogue. But for that to happen, as he pointed out, above all, the terrible war in Yemen must end. Thirdly, concerning the humanitarian aspect of the situation, Equatorial Guinea joins other Council members in echoing Emergency Relief Coordinator Lowcock’s message with regard to the need to honour funding pledges as soon as possible in order to provide the 22 million people in need of assistance — according to information from Mr. John Ging, Director of the Coordination and Response Division of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs — with aid to end the food insecurity from which they are suffering and thereby also tackle the disastrous situation that these conflicts have produced. The humanitarian problems of cholera and the risk of famine are still worrying, and it is important to ensure that the international community continues to be ready to help those most in need. For that, it is essential that humanitarian actors be given free access to the affected areas. In conclusion, we hope that the Geneva conference will lead to the disbursement of the $2 billion pledged to alleviate the suffering of the Yemeni people.

We thank Mr. Griffiths and Mr. Lowcock for their briefings. We would like to express our support for Mr. Griffiths, who has just begun his work and is conducting it appropriately. We hope that with the support of the Security Council and all stakeholders he can succeed in overcoming the impasse in this protracted crisis. We will support him in his efforts. We have been closely following the military, political and humanitarian developments in Yemen. We are seriously concerned about the fact that as a result of the ongoing hostilities, the numbers of dead and wounded are increasing, as is the extent of the damage to civilian infrastructure, including medical facilities. So far, unfortunately, the escalating trend in the conflict is only increasing, and the humanitarian disaster is getting worse. More than 80 per cent of the population of Yemen is in need of assistance. Millions of Yemenis are starving. The country has been swamped by an epidemic of cholera and diphtheria. We greatly appreciate the efforts of all who are taking steps to alleviate the suffering of the Yemeni people and welcome the outcome of the pledging conference held in Geneva on 3 April and the pledges that were announced there, especially by Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. Russia is also providing assistance to the Yemeni people both through Aden and Sana’a. Since the acute stage of the conflict began in 2015, the Russian Ministry of Emergency Situations has delivered planeloads bringing a total of more than 70 tons of various humanitarian goods to Yemen. We are working both bilaterally and through the World Food Programme. Nevertheless, we believe that humanitarian assistance alone cannot result in viable, long-term solutions. We continue to believe that the only way to end this protracted civil conflict is through dialogue that takes into consideration the interests of all the participants. We emphatically condemn indiscriminate strikes, of which civilians are usually the victims. Targeting civilian areas of Saudi Arabia with ballistic missiles is also absolutely unacceptable. We urge the perpetrators to halt such efforts, which do not help the political process or an eventual political settlement in any way. We reaffirm our principled position in favour of an immediate halt to the armed confrontation in the Republic of Yemen and to the use of force and attempts to settle their differences militarily by the parties to the conflict. That can be achieved only by focusing on Yemen itself, not by introducing geopolitical calculations into the conflict. Through desire and political will, Yemen can become an example of a successful settlement to other conflicts in the region and a factor contributing to regional stability, which the area so desperately needs. We hope that Mr. Griffiths can succeed in reversing those trends. We believe that the international community, and first and foremost the United Nations, to which we traditionally assign a central role, should continue their efforts to induce Yemeni stakeholders to reject violence and sit down at the negotiating table to create a consolidated vision for the country’s next incarnation, on the basis of a broad national dialogue and mutual consideration of the interests of its main political forces, as well as the relevant decisions of the international community. Rather than ostracizing anyone, it is important to involve all the countries and forces that can bring genuine influence to bear on the parties to the conflict. For our part, we intend to continue to contribute to those efforts. We have been doing so since the start of the civil conflict in Yemen, and have been in regular communication with everyone who is crucial to putting the situation in Yemen back on a path to peace.

I shall now make a statement in my national capacity. We would particularly like to thank Mr. Griffiths and Mr. Lowcock for their important and detailed briefings. Peru fully supports the dialogue initiated by the Special Envoy of the Secretary-General with all the parties to the Yemeni conflict, and would like to emphasize his assessment that there is a real possibility for a political solution if we act inclusively, pragmatically, swiftly, even-handedly and with restraint. We believe that because they are so closely linked, the political and humanitarian aspects of the Yemeni conflict must be addressed simultaneously and with the utmost urgency. We therefore express our deep concern about the escalation of hostilities, which is exacerbating the greatest humanitarian crisis in the world today. We note with alarm that various actors involved in the conflict continue to violate international law, international humanitarian law and human rights. These crimes must be duly investigated and those responsible prosecuted and punished. In that regard, we condemn the firing of missiles at Saudi Arabia, since targeting urban centres is a war crime. We also stress that any military response must respect the principles of proportionality, legality and precaution. We regret the fact that trade in essential goods and humanitarian access continue to be restricted. That is notwithstanding the important presidential statement that the Council adopted in March (S/PRST/2018/5), with concrete commitments aimed at alleviating the suffering of the Yemeni people, and the generous contributions announced for the humanitarian response plan. As Mr. Lowcock pointed out, all ports, including Hudaydah and Saleef ports and Sana’a’s airport, must be kept open. The airport is particularly important for bringing in medical supplies and for emergency humanitarian evacuations. Safe, rapid and unhindered access for humanitarian workers must also be ensured. In conclusion, I would like to stress that there can be no military solution to the conflict in Yemen, and to point out that my delegation will continue to work in its capacity as Chair of the Security Council Committee established pursuant to resolution 2140 (2014) to end the suffering of the civilian population and to build sustainable peace in that country. I now resume my functions as President of the Council. I give the floor to the representative of Yemen.

At the outset, I would like to congratulate you, Sir, on Peru’s assumption of the presidency of the Council this month, and to wish you every success. I thank you for giving me the opportunity to address the Council, and I would also like to sincerely thank the Secretary-General for his direct engagement in the quest for a settlement of the situation in Yemen. I commend the direct role that he has played in guaranteeing the success of the conference held in Geneva at the beginning of this month in order to finance the United Nations plan to meet the humanitarian needs in Yemen. I also thank Mr. Martin Griffiths, Special Envoy of the Secretary-General, for his first briefing to the Council, as he begins his efforts to resolve the now nearly four-year-long crisis in Yemen. The crisis resulted from a coup led by Houthi militias against the legitimate Government in Yemen, which at the time was leading a transition in line with the noble and legitimate aspirations of the entire Yemeni people of all political stripes, under the auspices of the United Nations and the Council. My Government supports the efforts of Mr. Griffiths. He can count on our collaborative, constructive and flexible cooperation in the efforts to achieve a lasting peace in Yemen and to put an end to the current chaos and the war that the Houthis launched against our people in September 2014. There are specific terms of reference for a settlement in Yemen, unlike some other crises in the world, and, as the Special Envoy said, they are clear. Through their allies and friends, the Houthi Iranian militias have tried to undermine those terms of reference. They thought they had seized power that they would never let go. They thought they could attack the Yemeni people and our neighbours and use the chaos and violence to impose Iran’s expansionist agenda. Any acceptance of those Houthi militias as the guarantors of security in Yemen and stability in the region is a clear example of the politics of despair. Neither Yemen nor any country represented here can accept the possibility that our political life might be managed by an armed militia that, like the terrorist militia Hizbullah, is supported financially and logistically by another country. That is why the Yemeni Government has always expressed its readiness to cooperate with the Special Envoy, in accordance with the terms of reference agreed on by the Yemeni people and with the legal backing of the international community. That includes the Gulf Cooperation Council Initiative and implementation mechanism; the outcome of the National Dialogue Conference sponsored by the United Nations in 2013, resulting in a reconciliatory document that reflected the aspirations of Yemeni society; and, lastly, the relevant resolutions of the Security Council, particularly resolution 2216 (2015), which constitutes the main basis for a resolution of the crisis in Yemen and shows that the Security Council understands the essence of the problem in Yemen. This solution remains the only way to establish lasting peace in the country. We met in Kuwait in the first half of 2016. At the time, the Yemeni Government was genuinely ready to implement resolution 2216 (2015). We demonstrated a spirit of conciliation and signed accords aimed at reaching an eventual comprehensive political agreement. However the Houthis were not willing to sign the accords, as Mr. Ould Sheikh Ahmed said during his most recent briefing of the Council in February (see S/PV.8191). Previously, we had met in Biel, Switzerland. Back then, the Yemeni Government called for the adoption of confidence-building measures, but the Houthis rejected them. Those measures are again in the spotlight. Today, as has been said, the ports, the airports, salaries and the release of prisoners are all priority issues. If the perpetrators of the coup were aware of the gravity of the humanitarian situation which they caused for Yemen and its people, then we could work together under the auspices of the Special Envoy to discuss many issues, some of which were already discussed in Biel, such as the release of all prisoners and taking immediate action to improve the humanitarian situation by lifting restrictions on humanitarian access and ending attacks on humanitarian workers so as to allow them safe and unimpeded access to all areas. Other issues that we discussed in Biel could also be discussed. Those include steps towards economic recovery to alleviate the suffering of the Yemeni people, help the central bank to stabilize the Yemeni riyal, pay salaries, improve the financial, economic and investment situation and facilitate food imports. That is our focus today. The Yemeni Government welcomes the proposal made by Martin Griffiths during his meeting with the President last week to open Sana’a airport for humanitarian cases. He called for the opening of the airport under the supervision of the United Nations and for the withdrawal of the militias from it. That issue has been brought up previously by the Government. However, we still believe that the situation cannot be normalized without an end to the coup and the restoration of State institutions. The Security Council has shown unity since the beginning of the Yemeni crisis in 2011. We call on the Council and on Mr. Martin Griffiths to focus above all on the Houthis’ compliance with the Security Council resolutions. The Houthis must not benefit from their crimes against humanity. That would only embolden other militias around the world and lead to the spread of terrorism and chaos. In order to achieve peace in Yemen, the Houthi militias must first withdraw from the cities and the State institutions that they have occupied and pillaged. They must return the weaponry that they stole from the military and State security institutions, as well as and especially the ballistic missiles that were provided to them by Iran. They must end their aggression against the territories of Saudi Arabia and stop carrying out the functions of the State. They must stop committing one of the gravest violations of international law, namely, the recruitment of children. That is the only way to ensure lasting peace. The Iranian regime continues its flagrant interference in the internal affairs of Yemen and other countries of the region. The Yemeni Government and the Saudi Arabia-led coalition have sent a number of letters to the Security Council and the Secretary-General with regard to the attacks by Iranian-made ballistic missiles. Some 119 missiles have been launched by the Houthi militias against Saudi Arabia to date. That is clear proof that Iran is a State that sponsors terrorism and seeks to destabilize all the countries of the region. On 11 April, the Yemeni Government also issued a statement concerning the Iranian Embassy in Sana’a, which continues to operate. Today it functions as a command centre for the Iranian regime to hold meetings between Iranian military experts and the coup forces. That is happening despite the fact that the Yemeni Government and Iran ceased diplomatic relations on 2 October 2015, and despite the letter sent by the Yemeni Government on 6 January 2016, after having verified that Iran had not closed its Embassy in Yemen. In that letter, the Yemeni Government informed the Iranian regime that it had not complied with the decision to end relations between the two Governments. We gave the Iranian regime 72 hours to leave Yemen. However, despite all those communications, the terrorist Iranian elements of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps continue to use the Embassy to cover up their military and training activities in order to support the Houthis in clear violation of international law. The Security Council has failed to put pressure on Iran to end its interference in Yemeni affairs and its threat to regional security and stability. It has failed to compel Iran to stop smuggling missiles and threatening international navigation south of the Red Sea and Bab Al-Mandab. The humanitarian situation in Yemen continues to deteriorate into a humanitarian crisis unprecedented in the twenty-first century. The areas of Yemen controlled by the Houthis have been systematically destroyed, which has led to horrific levels of humanitarian suffering. Today, as we discuss international efforts to address the humanitarian crisis in Yemen, we commend the outcome of the Geneva conference convened on 3 April by the Secretary-General, together with Switzerland and Sweden. At the conference, $2.1 billion was pledged for the humanitarian response plan for Yemen for 2018, which will require $3 billion. I would like to take this opportunity to thank the Governments of Switzerland and Sweden for organizing the conference. I would also like to thank Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Kuwait, as well as all the other countries that made generous contributions to assist the Yemeni people. I cannot but commend the efforts of Mr. Mark Lowcock, Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, to transform the work of the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs and to improve the performance of the humanitarian agencies in Yemen and all the relevant parties in order to ensure the delivery of humanitarian assistance throughout Yemen. The Yemeni Government has sent letters to the Secretary-General regarding the obstacles facing humanitarian workers created by the Houthi militias. The letters describe the looting of humanitarian assistance. The latest such letter was sent from the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs to the Secretary-General regarding the complaint by the Federation of International Civil Servants’ Associations to the assistant of the Under-Secretary-General about the blackmailing and attacks by the Houthis against United Nations staff. The Houthi militias are taking advantage of the humanitarian crisis in Yemen as an excuse to portray themselves as victims. Yesterday, I met the Special Envoy. We talked about the garbage accumulating in the streets of Sana’a, which could lead to another cholera outbreak. It seems that this practice is being undertaken systematically in order to unleash an outbreak of cholera. We hold the Houthis accountable for that. As the Under-Secretary-General said, another outbreak of cholera in Yemen would pose yet another challenge for the international community. I have warned more than once against focusing on the humanitarian aspect of the situation in Yemen in the absence of a political solution and the failure of the international community to pressure the Houthis to come to the negotiating table and to implement the provisions of resolution 2216 (2015). Following the success of the Geneva conference, we cannot expect the international community to continue to provide such generous contributions in the coming years in the absence of a political resolution. I call on the Council to put pressure on the coup party, which continues to reject the peace initiatives. It must be criminalized before the world. In conclusion, the Yemeni people beseech the members of the Council to stand by them at this critical historic moment, as has been their hope since the beginning of the political crisis in Yemen in 2011. The Yemeni people will never forget the noble positions that Council members have taken on ending the war and the coup, with a view to enabling Yemen to become a new democratic and federal State that can embrace all its people, provide assistance on the humanitarian front and work towards regional and international stability and security.