S/PV.9707 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. Hans Grundberg, Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for Yemen; and Ms. Lisa Doughten, Director of the Financing and Partnerships Division, Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. The Security Council will now begin its consideration of the item on its agenda. I give the floor to Mr. Grundberg. Mr. Grundberg: In four days, on 19 August, we will commemorate World Humanitarian Day, a day dedicated to honouring those who tirelessly serve people in need around the world, including in Yemen. Yet, in Yemen, we are facing a clampdown by Ansar Allah on the humanitarian and civic space. It has been almost 80 days since Ansar Allah started its concerted campaign detaining Yemeni employees of the United Nations, civil society, national and international non-governmental organizations, diplomatic missions and private sector entities. Dozens of men and women, among whom are 13 United Nations personnel, including one of my own staff members, are still being detained in unknown locations. Those detentions are in addition to the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) and UNESCO staff who have been detained by Ansar Allah since 2021 and 2023, respectively. In addition, on 29 July, Ansar Allah closed the OHCHR office in Sana’a and asked its international staff to leave. Following the closure, Ansar Allah security forces, in flagrant violation of the United Nations privileges and immunities, stormed the office on 3 August. That is an ominous signal of the broader direction that Ansar Allah is taking and represents a serious attack on the ability of the United Nations to perform its mandate. Protecting human rights is fundamentally about protecting the future of Yemen and the rights and freedoms of Yemenis. I therefore call on Ansar Allah to act responsibly and compassionately towards its fellow countrymen and countrywomen and immediately and unconditionally release all United Nations, non-governmental organization, civil society, diplomatic mission and private sector employees, as well as members of religious minorities, and refrain from further arbitrary detentions. Let them be reunited with their families. Let them go back to their jobs serving Yemenis, providing humanitarian and development assistance, peacebuilding, human rights and mediation and protecting cultural heritage. The Middle East is currently holding its breath, and I sincerely hope that the escalatory trajectory that we have experienced in the past few months can be reversed. What started in Israel and Gaza in October 2023 has drawn in several other countries, including Yemen. Despite serious efforts to shield Yemen from that regional escalation, Ansar Allah continues to attack ships in the Red Sea, and the United States and the United Kingdom have continued their strikes on military targets in Ansar Allah-controlled territory. That situation, which has lasted for more than eight months now, is not sustainable. The regional escalation is taking place in parallel to real and urgent challenges inside Yemen that must be addressed. Addressing the decade-long conflict in Yemen continues to be at the centre of my work. It is a conflict that has claimed hundreds of thousands of victims, weakened Yemen’s social fabric and undermined the delivery of public services. That has made Yemen more vulnerable to natural disasters and environmental hazards and diseases, as the recent flooding in Al-Hudaydah, Ma’rib and Taiz, in addition to the continuing cholera outbreak, have demonstrated. Therefore, I once again call on the Yemeni parties, and Ansar Allah in particular, to prioritize the Yemenis. Their responsibility lies, first and foremost, with Yemen. We must shift the focus back to Yemen and find solutions to Yemen’s problems. Over the past few months, I have continuously expressed my deep concern about the trajectory of events in Yemen. Unfortunately, that regressive trend, illustrated by continuing military activities and escalatory rhetoric, has continued. While levels of violence along the front lines remain relatively contained compared to the period before the 2022 truce, we are continuing to witness military preparations and reinforcements accompanied by continuous threats of a return to war, with further reports of clashes in Al-Dhale, Al-Hudaydah, Lahj, Ma’rib, Sa’ada and Taiz. Once again, that serves as a stark reminder of how volatile the situation is along the Yemeni front lines. Despite that bleak picture, last month, with the support of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the parties were able to halt a dangerous cycle of escalation that was having a negative impact on Yemen’s banking and transport sectors and threatened to ignite renewed military conflict. Since the announcement of the de-escalation understanding, which includes the functioning of Yemenia Airways and ensuring the continued access of Yemen’s biggest banks to international banking services, we have seen some initial progress towards its implementation. However, the onus is now on the parties to not only act in good faith and fully implement the commitments they made but also to transform the understanding into something that improves the lives and livelihoods of all Yemenis. And with that, I again underscore the importance of working towards the unification of the currency and a unified central bank and ensuring that the banking sector is free from political interference. My office has prepared options and offered a clear proposal and pathway to achieve those objectives, all of which have been based on the input of the parties themselves. We continue to stand ready to support the parties to reach mutually acceptable solutions through dialogue for the benefit of all Yemenis. In December 2023, the parties agreed to a set of commitments. Those commitments remain valid today, and despite the ever more complicated mediation space, I remain determined to keep all channels of communication open and to continue with our engagements at different levels and on different issues  — on the economy, on a nationwide ceasefire and other security arrangements, on a political process and on the release of conflict-related detainees. In line with those efforts, last month, in partnership with UN-Women, my office brought together 70 representatives of different segments of Yemeni society for its fourth consultation in Mukalla, Hadhramaut, to continue the work to develop a vision for inclusive peace, elevating the voice of women. My office also visited Riyadh and Aden to continue engagements on a nationwide ceasefire and other security arrangements, including exploring ways to support de-escalation efforts in Yemen. In addition, since the conclusion of the meeting on conflict-related detainees in July, we have continued our engagements with the parties to build on the progress reached in Oman. We do all of that in order to keep the focus on the longer-term priorities of seeking a sustainable and just solution for the benefit of all Yemenis. I remain determined to achieve the task entrusted to me by the Council  — to support the resumption of an inclusive Yemeni-led political transition. I continue to depend on the Council’s full support for those efforts. Its consistent and unified messaging on the importance of a political process and a ceasefire, as well as its continued advocacy for the release of United Nations personnel, is all the more crucial during these turbulent times.

I thank Mr. Grundberg for his briefing. I now give the floor to Ms. Doughten. Ms. Doughten: I thank Special Envoy Grundberg for his update and for his unstinting efforts to bring about lasting peace in Yemen. Let me start by again raising the issue of the continuing arbitrary detention by the Houthi de facto authorities of United Nations personnel and dozens of international and national non-governmental organization staff and civil society representatives, among others. All of them are Yemeni men and women. They have now been held in detention for more than two months, in addition to the four United Nations personnel arbitrarily detained since 2021 and 2023. The United Nations continues efforts to secure their release, and we are in frequent contact with the Houthi de facto authorities and others towards that end. While a few families of the detained have been able to contact them, the vast majority have still not been afforded that opportunity, and it remains the case that neither the United Nations nor legal representatives have been allowed to visit or communicate with the detained. That situation is completely unacceptable. I once again demand that the Houthi de facto authorities immediately release all of our colleagues held in detention, and I reiterate that while they are detained, they must be treated humanely and be allowed contact with family members and legal counsel, in accordance with international norms. We will continue efforts to secure their release with determination until they are all freed. We urge all Member States to exert any influence and leverage they have in support of those efforts. Over recent weeks, we have seen a worrisome deterioration in the operational environment in Houthi- controlled areas. The Houthi de facto authorities’ recent closure of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights in Sana’a and the subsequent forced entry into the office compound and taking of control of United Nations assets are wholly unacceptable. I join High Commissioner Türk in urging them to leave the premises immediately and to return all equipment and assets. Those events have occurred alongside other worrisome measures that are having a negative impact on our ability to sustain humanitarian operations. The environment in those areas is growing more constrained, at a time when humanitarians are already struggling to meet the needs of millions of people across the country. The United Nations and our humanitarian partners are committed to staying and delivering for the people of Yemen, but minimum requirements must be met to ensure that United Nations personnel and other humanitarian workers can do so without having to compromise their safety and security. Over the past 10 days, heavy rainfall and flash flooding have hit several governorates in Yemen, damaging homes, farms and public infrastructure. Approximately 69,500 families have been directly affected, with many losing their homes and sources of livelihood. Some 98 people have been killed, and more than 600 others injured. In response, humanitarian partners have provided immediate life-saving assistance, including food, water, hygiene kits and shelter support, to affected families. They also delivered critical medical supplies to local hospitals and health centres and deployed dozens of mobile health teams to affected areas. However, a lack of adequate funding continues to undermine those and other efforts to address critical needs across Yemen. Eight months into the year, our targeted and prioritized humanitarian response plan for 2024 is only 27 per cent funded, forcing humanitarians to make difficult decisions about which vulnerable families and communities would receive support. Preventing the spread of cholera is one area in which additional funds are urgently needed. Although the United Nations-led multi-agency cholera response plan is currently 60 per cent funded, that was based on an initial estimate of 60,000 cholera cases between April and September 2024. Regrettably, at the beginning of this month, the number of suspected cases across the country has swelled to more than 147,000 — a substantial increase from that initial estimate. That means current funding is only sufficient to address a quarter of those cases, leaving a significant response gap, which our humanitarian partners have been struggling to fill. They have been doing their best to support treatment centres, providing them with medications, medical equipment, infection control supplies and other resources. They are working to strengthen surveillance and response mechanisms to identify and address new cases quickly. And they have also been promoting prevention measures by improving access to safe water and sanitation services, distributing hygiene kits and raising awareness in communities at risk. However, our health cluster colleagues warn that unless those response efforts are immediately bolstered, the number of suspected cases could further increase, potentially reaching more than 250,000 in just a few weeks. Additional funding is urgently needed to prevent that. Food security in Yemen also continues to deteriorate. Inadequate food consumption has steadily increased, now affecting 60 per cent of surveyed households nationwide. Vulnerable groups, in particular women-headed households, report the most significant impacts. Rates of severe food deprivation in areas controlled by the Houthi de facto authorities have more than doubled — from 17 to 36 per cent — compared with the same time last year. They have also increased sharply in Government-controlled areas and now stand at 32 per cent. The impacts of increasing food insecurity and malnutrition extend far beyond hunger. They also expose children, especially girls, to increased rates of abuse and neglect. Today an alarming 30 per cent of girls in Yemen are forced into marriage before the age of 18, as families struggle to provide for them. And the number of children out of school, currently at a staggering 4.5 million, is likely to rise as more children are forced to leave school to help provide for their families. As we know, for adolescent girls in particular, that is not only jeopardizing their futures but exposes them to greater risks of gender-based violence. To counter the impacts of the recent pause in general food distributions in Houthi-controlled areas, the World Food Programme is currently planning a one-off food distribution to more than 1.6 million people in the 34 worst-affected districts. However, as the overall situation of food insecurity continues to deteriorate across the country, enhanced action will be needed to avert a further potential catastrophe. Full and urgent funding of the humanitarian response plan for Yemen is a minimum requirement for those and other critical humanitarian needs. The people of Yemen cannot afford the devastating toll of further conflict. Indeed, their ability to recover from the devastation of the conflict, address increasing humanitarian needs and take concrete steps towards a more promising and stable future all depend on locking in progress on peace. I therefore echo the Secretary- General’s call for restraint and de-escalation, and I urge the Council to support peace in Yemen and the region.

I thank Ms. Doughten for her briefing. I shall now give the floor to those members of the Council who wish to make statements.

I thank Special Envoy Grundberg and Director Doughten for their briefings and for the tireless work of their staff and other United Nations personnel in Yemen. The situation in Yemen is desperate, with devastating flooding coming on top of an already dire humanitarian crisis. We express condolences to all those affected by the floods. The prospect of regional escalation threatens to further undermine security and stability. We urge all parties to de-escalate to avoid deepening the humanitarian crisis. The United Kingdom condemns the Houthis’ reckless and escalatory attacks across the region, carried out in conjunction with other Iranian- linked groups. We also reiterate our call on the Houthis to cease their attacks in the Red Sea, which threaten international shipping. Recent reports have shown Houthi links to Al-Shabaab. We firmly condemn those actions as part of a wider pattern of Houthi destabilizing activity beyond Yemen’s borders. The relevant United Nations sanctions committees must coordinate closely to monitor and counter that worrisome trend. The United Kingdom condemns the Houthi’s closure of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) in Sana’a. The OHCHR presence is critical for the protection of civilians and reporting of human rights abuses. As we have heard, that follows the detention of United Nations, non-governmental organization and former diplomatic missions’ staff in June and is yet another blatant aggression that will severely impede the delivery of vital aid to those most in need. Those acts demonstrate once again the willingness of Houthi leaders to inflict harm and suffering on the Yemeni people to advance their own ambitions. It is the duty of the Council to ensure that the Houthis guarantee a safe and unimpeded operational environment for humanitarian organizations. We call on the Houthis to immediately and unconditionally release the detainees, leave the OHCHR premises and return the assets they have seized. Finally, the Yemeni people deserve peace. Further escalation will only move us further away from achieving that. We urge restraint from all parties to preserve space for negotiations in line with the United Nations road map. We call on the Council to remain unified in support of the Special Envoy’s efforts to secure an inclusive and sustainable peace in Yemen.

We are grateful to the Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for Yemen, Mr. Hans Grundberg, and the Director of Financing and Partnerships Division of the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, Ms. Lisa Doughten, for their briefings. The situation in this Middle Eastern country remains extremely complex. The Yemeni settlement has been on life support for more than six months. Despite the absence of major hostilities, the contact line remains unsettled, and local skirmishes are taking place on an almost daily basis. It is clear that the patience of the parties to the conflict could run out at any time. In the current circumstances, even a tiny spark could trigger a conflagration that would be extremely difficult to extinguish. The deteriorating situation in the region confirms the urgent need to reach an agreement and to resolve the Yemeni issue, lest all of the efforts made by the Yemeni parties and international regional mediators since April of last year come to naught. Against that backdrop, the slightest step taken by the Yemeni parties vis-à-vis one another assume great significance. We commend the agreements reached between the Yemeni parties on measures to de-escalate the financial and economic situation and to resume commercial flights to Sana’a. We welcome the role that was played in that process by the countries in the region. At the same time, the situation gives more than sufficient cause for concern. We are alarmed by reports of Ansar Allah’s seizure of the country office of the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights in Sana’a on 3 August and confiscation of documents and vehicles. The situation of the 13 United Nations staff members who had been detained before then has still not been resolved. We demand that immediate humanitarian access to them be granted as a minimum. Actions that violate the privileges and immunities of United Nations structures and staff are unacceptable, not only in Yemen but in any country. The Security Council should not apply double standards in that regard. In that context, we must also recall the more than 200 staff members of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) who have died in Gaza, the dozens of UNRWA facilities that have been destroyed and the alarming information about the arbitrary detention of UNRWA staff by Israeli security forces and the use of torture and violence against them. We hope that those who are today condemning the Houthis’ actions will be just as principled when it comes to Israel’s actions. We are compelled to note, with regret, the steadily deteriorating humanitarian situation and the food and energy crises in Yemen. Two thirds of its population, or more than 18 million people, need humanitarian assistance. Millions continue to suffer from food shortages. The United Nations humanitarian plan for Yemen for this year has not even received a quarter of its funding. On top of all that, the long-suffering Middle Eastern country has been hit by heavy rains, causing devastating flooding. The provinces of Al-Hudaydah, Taiz and Ma’rib have been the worst affected, at least 57 people have died, and tens of thousands have been forced to leave their homes. The final extent of the damage has yet to be assessed. It seems that, under the circumstances, Council members and the entire international community need to mobilize all available resources to help ordinary Yemenis, who are fighting for their lives and need unhindered access to food, medicine and other necessities, irrespective of where they live. We are of the view that the only way to achieve a broad national consensus and forge a shared vision for the future of the country is to launch an inclusive inter-Yemeni dialogue under the auspices of the United Nations. We continue to support the efforts of Special Envoy Hans Grundberg, including those aimed at formally consolidating a sustainable ceasefire and launching a full-fledged inclusive national dialogue with the support of the United Nations. For our part, we continue to coordinate approaches with all the leading political forces in Yemen and our regional partners. The ultimate goal is long-term stabilization. We reiterate the need to update the international legal basis for the settlement in Yemen. It is worth noting — and I think few today would dare to deny  — that the overall steady escalation in the Middle East is having a direct impact on the situation in Yemen. The country is, unfortunately, increasingly being drawn into regional turbulence. Attacks on commercial vessels in the Red Sea continue to be a serious problem. We call on the Houthis to end any actions that impede the freedom of international shipping and to release the MV Galaxy Leader and its crew. At the same time, we call on all international players to respect the sovereignty of Yemen. Attacks on targets in that country’s territory, such as the strikes by the so-called Western “coalition” from Red Sea waters, are not only a flagrant violation of international law, including the Charter of the United Nations, but are also contributing to a spiral of escalation with the most unpredictable consequences. At the same time, it is clear that Ansar Allah is not acting in a vacuum. Its actions instead reflect the extent of the frustration in the region at Israel’s policy of literally trying to raze the Gaza Strip to the ground, putting the lives of its nearly two million inhabitants in grave danger. And the Council’s inaction is only fuelling the mood in the Arab street, which supports the Houthis’ principled position. The escalation in July, resulting from strikes exchanged between the Houthis and Israel once again demonstrated how normalization in the Middle East and in the Red Sea will not be possible without de-escalation in Gaza, and de-escalation cannot take place without an immediate, full-fledged ceasefire — something which the Council has not been able to achieve for 10 months now owing to Washington’s pro-Israel stance. That vicious cycle can be broken only with collective, decisive actions that would place the Middle East settlement back under United Nations auspices and into the well-known treaty and legal framework established by the decisions of the Security Council. All other “schemes” that benefit individual players but that do not allow the Palestinians to exercise their right only move us further away from achieving a durable and just peace in the region. Let us focus at long last on that pressing task, which will make it much easier for us to resolve other conflicts, including the Yemeni one.

I thank Special Envoy Hans Grundberg and Ms. Lisa Doughten of the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs for their contributions. “War is ugly” is how 40-year-old Sana’a resident Elham Hassan begins her September 2023 letter to future generations, a compelling plea for peace. She adds that “[e]ven when the fighting ends, things do not go back to the way they were. You may still be alive and breathing, but you are not really living anymore”. Those words remind us of our duty, namely, to prevent conflict and its far-reaching consequences. In that respect, three points need to be made. First, there is an urgent need to put an end to the spiral of violence. Switzerland remains deeply concerned about the situation in the region, including Yemen. An even more serious regional escalation must be avoided. Such an escalation would also worsen the situation in Yemen, taking a devastating human toll. We call on all parties to comply strictly with international law, including the rights and freedoms of navigation in the Red Sea. We reiterate our call for maximum restraint and a diplomatic solution. Switzerland supports all ongoing diplomatic efforts to that end. Secondly, the resolution of the political conflict in Yemen must remain our central focus. We call on all parties to do their utmost to avoid the resumption of large-scale conflict. All confidence-building measures must be promoted. Last month (see S/PV.9692), we welcomed the agreement on the cessation of retaliatory measures in the banking sector and the resumption of certain commercial flights. The partial implementation of that agreement is a step in the right direction. All economic retaliation must cease. Switzerland calls on the parties to the conflict to respect the provisions of the economic de-escalation agreement and to meet under the auspices of the Office of the Special Envoy. The resumption of discussions on a prisoner exchange last June is a positive signal, which we welcome. Those discussions represent an opportunity to create a climate of trust and give fresh impetus to the talks initiated by the Special Envoy. In that context, Switzerland reiterates its full support for the Special Envoy’s mediation role. Thirdly, only support for humanitarian work and a diplomatic resolution of the conflict will bring about a lasting improvement in the alarming humanitarian situation. We are concerned about the flash floods. A study on the impact of climate change on displaced people in Yemen, carried out by a Yemeni non-governmental organization at Switzerland’s request, showed that almost 600,000 people have been displaced by torrents and flash floods over the past 15 years. Those floods further increase the risk of diseases, such as cholera. In addition, the destruction of civilian infrastructure and the dispersal of populations due to the ongoing armed conflict have further increased vulnerability to those climatic events. The work of humanitarian personnel is crucial in that context. Their safety and access to the civilian population must be guaranteed, in accordance with international humanitarian law, as recalled in resolution 2730 (2024). Switzerland is very concerned by the Houthis’ restrictions on civilian and humanitarian space, which are creating a climate of fear. The arbitrary detention of Yemeni civilians, including humanitarian and United Nations personnel, is unacceptable. Switzerland condemns the storming of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights in Sana’a. We call for the immediate release of all those arbitrarily detained. Unauthorized entry into a United Nations office and forcible seizure of documents and goods constitute a serious violation of the privileges and immunities of the United Nations. Elham Hassan ends her letter with an urgent call for a lasting peace that will preserve freedom, dignity, rights and equality for all. We can only reiterate that appeal, for Yemen and for the region as a whole. The Council’s support for the political and humanitarian efforts of the United Nations remains fundamental. Switzerland will continue to work to that end.

I thank Special Envoy Grundberg and Director Doughten of the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs for their briefings. Given the heightened tensions in the region, it is essential for all parties to de-escalate hostilities and exercise restraint. The regional context is not conducive to efforts to address the dire situation in Yemen, including on the humanitarian front. More than 18 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance, and more than half of them are children. Hunger continues to be a pressing concern, with 17.6 million people suffering acute food insecurity. Cholera continues to spread throughout Yemen, with nearly 150,000 suspected cases and hundreds of deaths. The recent flooding in Yemen has affected tens of thousands of families, damaging homes, farms and infrastructure and resulting in the tragic deaths of many civilians. We call on the Yemeni authorities to remove obstacles to the delivery of aid and allow for safe, unimpeded humanitarian access to those in need throughout Yemen. The resource gap is of similar concern. We call on the international community to support a robust response to Yemen’s humanitarian crisis and urgently scale up funding for Yemen’s humanitarian response plan. Ensuring that our humanitarian colleagues have the appropriate operating environment to meet the needs of all Yemenis is key. In that vein, we strongly condemn the Houthis’ arrests and arbitrary detentions of United Nations personnel, civil society, and staff working for non-governmental organizations and diplomatic missions in Yemen. Those arrests are unacceptable and can have far-reaching ramifications for the delivery of humanitarian aid. It is vital that humanitarian personnel be able to carry out their critical work in a safe operating environment. We call for their immediate and unconditional release. While in detention, they must be held in good conditions and allowed contact with their families, colleagues and legal counsel. We strongly condemn the Houthis’ storming of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights in Sana’a. That act is inconsistent with the privileges and immunities of the United Nations and constitutes a serious attack on the ability of the United Nations to perform its mandate. We call on the Houthis to leave the premises and return all seized assets and belongings immediately. The economic war that has been waged by parties to the conflict has fragmented Yemen’s economy and currency, causing inflation to rise and the prices of essential goods to surge. We are encouraged by the agreement between the Government of Yemen and the Houthis last month on several measures to de-escalate on the economic front. We hope that that agreement can be used as a step forward towards the establishment of a formal nationwide ceasefire and the resumption of an inclusive Yemeni-led and -owned political process. We welcome the efforts of the Office of the Special Envoy and UN-Women in holding a fourth consultation with representatives of diverse segments of Yemeni society. The systematic violation of women’s right to the freedom of movement limits women’s ability to participate in all spheres of life, including work, education and access to health care. In order to ensure sustainable peace, women must be able to participate fully, equally, meaningfully and safely in political negotiations and in decision-making on Yemen’s future. In conclusion, Yemen is facing a critical juncture. Last month we witnessed a new level of escalation, demonstrating the danger of a devastating region-wide conflict. The Houthis must immediately cease any military acts that could further jeopardize the safety of the millions of Yemenis who have suffered nearly a decade of war. That includes Houthi actions against commercial shipping in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden and their unjustifiable detention of the MV Galaxy Leader and its crew. Members of the international community also have a responsibility to urgently de-escalate tensions in the region and prioritize dialogue in order to avoid further regional escalation.

I want to thank Special Envoy Grundberg and Director Doughten for their briefings. I also want to welcome the Yemeni Ambassador present today in this Chamber. What we witnessed last month with the Houthi- claimed drone attack in Tel Aviv and subsequent Israeli strikes on Al-Hudaydah was an extremely alarming development for Yemen and for the region. Although Red Sea attacks have regrettably continued since our most recent discussion on Yemen (see S/PV.9692), we are relieved that there has not been further serious escalation between the parties. We reiterate that the targeting of civilians and civilian infrastructure is prohibited under international law, and we continue to call on all sides to exercise maximum restraint. We know that the exacerbation of a new front between Israel and Yemen would only lead to more human suffering. All actors in Yemen should prioritize the Yemeni people, or as the Special Envoy said today, they should shift the focus back to Yemen and Yemeni problems and work to prevent Yemen from being engulfed in a broader regional flare-up. We welcome the agreement between the Yemeni parties on banking and transport issues, which the Special Envoy announced last month. That agreement is proof that, in spite of the very difficult internal and regional dynamics, compromises can be reached. We hope that it will be implemented in full and produce tangible benefits for the Yemeni people, alleviating the daily struggles they have faced for years as a result of the declining economy. We urge the parties to build on the momentum achieved through that agreement to refocus efforts on reaching long-term peace in Yemen and to prioritize the Special Envoy’s road map and an inclusive Yemeni-led and -owned political process under United Nations auspices. That must remain our overarching goal. While welcoming that progress, it is deeply regrettable that there has been no progress on the release of individuals, including United Nations staff, who have been arbitrarily detained by the Houthis since June and earlier. We once again find ourselves calling for their immediate, safe and unconditional release. That detention confirms a pattern of increasing erosion of respect for the protection that the staff of international, humanitarian and medical organizations enjoy according to international humanitarian law. Slovenia also expresses its deep concern about the recent Houthi order closing the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights in Sana’a and condemns the storming of the Office by the Houthis earlier this month. We stress the continued importance of independent and impartial human rights monitoring in Yemen and the inviolability of United Nations premises. We commend the indispensable work of the United Nations, civil society and non-governmental organizations on the ground and totally reject the weaponization of the humanitarian and civic space, which only further entrenches the conflict and complicates the delivery of much-needed humanitarian assistance for the Yemeni people. Indeed, Yemenis have faced devastating flash flooding in recent weeks, as well as a deadly cholera outbreak, affecting tens of thousands of families. And with extreme weather events directly impacting an already precarious food security situation, now is the time to scale up humanitarian aid, not to mount additional burdens on humanitarian actors. We therefore take the opportunity to call for safe, unrestricted humanitarian access across all areas of Yemen. Finally, to summarize, we caution against reckless unilateral actions that will drag Yemen back into war. We call for a refocusing of efforts on long-term peace and the work of the Special Envoy, and we stress the necessity of adhering to humanitarian principles and upholding international humanitarian law. As in all conflicts, that is non-negotiable. And it is our sincere hope that the discussions happening elsewhere today will finally bring much-needed calm to the region.

I thank Special Envoy Grundberg and Director Doughten for their briefings. I welcome the Permanent Representative of Yemen to this meeting. Ecuador is monitoring with concern Yemen’s involvement in the regional escalation, which was exacerbated by the Houthi attack in Tel Aviv, as well as the prospect that similar attacks may be repeated. Furthermore, continued Houthi attacks on vessels in the Red Sea threaten maritime security and peace in the region and disrupt global trade. That adverse context makes the mediation task even more complex and raises fears of a breakdown of the truce reached in April 2022 under United Nations auspices and a resumption of hostilities. To prevent that from happening, and as Special Envoy Grundberg has stated, it is essential to create an environment conducive to constructive dialogue between the parties, including regional de-escalation and concerted regional and international support for peaceful mediation. Moreover, the Council must ensure compliance with the arms embargo established pursuant to resolution 2216 (2015). My delegation has taken note of the agreements announced by the parties concerning the banking sector and hopes that they will translate into a commitment to dialogue to address Yemen’s economic issues, including monetary policy coordination and moving towards a unified central bank and currency. The torrential rains in recent weeks in Yemen have caused severe flooding which has destroyed homes and caused loss of life and displacement. Poor infrastructure, affected by years of armed conflict, exacerbated the impact of the floods. It is feared that deteriorating sanitation and access to safe drinking water will lead to the spread of epidemic diseases such as cholera. It is urgent that the United Nations agencies that conduct operations on the ground act in a coordinated manner in order to meet the urgent humanitarian needs of the population. To that end, the humanitarian response plan must have the necessary resources, as was clearly indicated by Director Doughten. It must be stressed that, in order to carry out their work, humanitarian organizations require an operating environment in which their staff can work without fear of attack or reprisals. Consequently, and in conclusion, I underscore that almost three months have passed since the arbitrary detention of humanitarian workers by the Houthis, and no word has been heard from them since then. Such actions are unacceptable. Ecuador therefore joins in the calls for the immediate and unconditional release of the detainees.

I thank Special Envoy Grundberg and Director Doughten for their informative briefings. Yemen’s trajectory is deeply worrisome amid the continued turmoil both within and outside the country. While the whole region is in a fragile situation, we should continue monitoring the situation in Yemen closely. Today I wish to highlight four points. First, Japan strongly condemns the destabilizing actions by the Houthis, including their attacks against Israel and against commercial shipping in and around the Red Sea. The Houthis must cease their threats to peace and security in the region and beyond. Japan urges the countries in the region to bring their influence to bear on the Houthis and call for their restraint. We reiterate our demand that the Houthis release the 25 crew members of the MV Galaxy Leader, who have been held for nearly nine months, without any further delay. Secondly, Japan is appalled by the Houthis’ storming of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) in Sana’a in what is yet another act of disrespect for the United Nations, following the arbitrary detention of United Nations staff two months ago. The Houthis must immediately leave the OHCHR premises, return all assets and belongings and unconditionally release all detained employees of the United Nations, non-governmental organizations and diplomatic missions. We also demand that the Houthis refrain from ever again conducting any such detentions or jeopardizing the critical activities of the United Nations and other human rights and humanitarian workers, who are there to serve the needs of the Yemeni people. Thirdly, Japan is seriously concerned about the dire humanitarian situation in Yemen, where people are suffering from food insecurity, diseases and natural disasters such as the recent flooding and heavy rains. After nine years of conflict, the need for basic social services such as health care, especially for women and girls, remains immense. With that in mind, Japan recently contributed $2.4 million to the United Nations Population Fund to strengthen life-saving reproductive health and protection services. We will continue to provide humanitarian assistance needed to alleviate the plight of Yemenis. Last but not least, Japan is deeply concerned about the stagnant peace process and growing insecurity in Yemen. We have taken as a positive the parties’ agreement on several de-escalatory measures in the banking and aviation sectors last month, although many more critical problems remain. Only a comprehensive and sustainable national dialogue under United Nations auspices will bring political and economic stability and meet the legitimate aspirations of the Yemeni people, who are hoping for peace and prosperity. Japan continues to support the critical mediation work of the Special Envoy to that end.

I thank Mr. Grundberg and Ms. Doughten for their briefings. I would also like to welcome the presence of the Permanent Representative of Yemen here today. Given the rise in tensions in the Middle East, the Security Council must do all it can to avoid a regional conflagration. In that context, the Houthis should immediately cease their destabilizing activities in the region, which continue on a daily basis in violation of fundamental principles of international law, as the Secretary-General’s report shows. France reiterates its firm condemnation of the drone attack that targeted Tel Aviv on the night of 18 and 19 July, for which the Houthis claimed responsibility. The Houthis are contributing to the regional escalation for which they are primarily responsible, including in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, in defiance of Security Council resolutions. The Council has clearly condemned such attacks, specifically through its adoption of resolutions 2722 (2024) and 2739 (2024). States have a right to defend their ships against such attacks in accordance with international law. We call on the Houthis to put an end to the situation and immediately release the MV Galaxy Leader and its crew, who have been held since November 2023. France also calls on Iran to stop its support for destabilizing actions in the region. France reiterates its commitment to regional stability and the security of its partners in the region. We will continue our engagement in the context of the European military Operation Aspides to guarantee maritime security and freedom of navigation, in accordance with international law and together with our partners. The Houthis are also responsible for the deterioration of the humanitarian situation and the suffering of the Yemeni population through the multiple ways in which they hinder humanitarian operations. We condemn their attack on the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights and their arbitrary detentions of its staff members and those of local and international non-governmental organizations, which are contrary to international humanitarian law. France firmly condemns those acts and demands the detainees’ immediate release. The unfounded arrests also have consequences for the delivery of aid and the work of humanitarians, who are already subject to numerous restrictions in the territory controlled by the Houthis, to the detriment of the civilian population. The Houthis must stop committing abuses against their own people, whom they are strangling economically and threatening on a daily basis. It is unacceptable that the United Nations should be forced to review its operations and limit its actions in order to address such threats. Humanitarian workers must be able to conduct their operations safely and unobstructed. The civilian population depends on humanitarian aid. France is also concerned about the recent floods, worsening food insecurity and the ongoing cholera epidemic, which have added to the challenges facing Yemenis. On the security front, there must be a complete and lasting cessation of hostilities if a relapse into conflict on the ground is to be avoided. The Houthis must return to the negotiating table led by the Special Envoy, whom France fully supports in the implementation of his political road map. Yemeni women’s effective participation in the negotiations must be guaranteed.

I thank Special Envoy Grundberg and Director Doughten for their briefings. I would like to make three points. First, China welcomes the recent agreement between the Yemeni Government and the Houthis on financial and aviation issues. We hope that the parties will build on that example, base their actions on the interests and welfare of the Yemeni people, stay committed to a political solution, eliminate interference, meet each other halfway and resolve the conflict through dialogue and negotiation, so as to jointly promote a Yemeni-led and Yemeni-owned comprehensive political process. China supports Mr. Grundberg’s mediation efforts and expects all parties, particularly countries with influence on the situation in Yemen, to play a constructive role in that regard. Secondly, China once again calls on the Houthis to respect the rights of navigation of all merchant ships in the Red Sea in accordance with international law, stop their harassment and attacks and maintain the safety of shipping lanes in the Red Sea. We call on the relevant parties to exercise restraint and cease actions that will exacerbate tensions. Thirdly, China calls on the international community to increase humanitarian assistance, speed up the honouring of pledges and help alleviate the severe humanitarian situation in Yemen. China is seriously concerned about the detention of United Nations personnel and assets in Yemen and calls for the immediate and unconditional release of all United Nations personnel and the return of all related assets. The situation in Yemen and the Red Sea is closely related to the conflict in Gaza. The slowness and difficulty of the efforts to achieve a ceasefire in Gaza have had negative spillover effects that are exacerbating regional turmoil. China calls for the implementation of resolutions 2712 (2023), 2720 (2023), 2728 (2024) and 2735 (2024) as soon as possible in order to achieve an immediate and lasting ceasefire in Gaza and speed up the de-escalation of tensions in the region, including in Yemen and the Red Sea. China is ready to continue to work with the international community to make efforts to arrive at a political settlement of the Yemeni issue in order to help restore regional peace and stability and achieve long-term peace and stability in the Middle East.

I thank Special Envoy Grundberg and Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs Director Doughten for their informative briefings. Last year there was hope for a breakthrough in the long-stalled diplomatic efforts to bring an end to the conflict in Yemen. It was a moment of optimism after years of war and so much devastation and suffering. Unfortunately, peace has so far proved elusive, and the Yemeni people continue to pay a heavy price. Today I want to focus on three ways in which the Houthis are undermining peace and security in Yemen and across the region and the world. First, the Houthis continue to unjustly detain humanitarian and diplomatic personnel. Just a few weeks ago (see S/PV.9692), a chorus of Council members demanded the immediate and safe release of those detainees, as they did in statements today — 130 Yemeni staff from approximately 29 different organizations, who were working to bring life-saving assistance to the Yemeni people at the time of their detention. But the Houthis have not freed them and in fact have only ramped up their attacks on humanitarians, as we heard today from both of our briefers. Houthi rebels raided the headquarters of the Sana’a Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, and that must be roundly condemned. There is absolutely no justification for targeting United Nations workers or detaining people for carrying out their lawful humanitarian and diplomatic work in this conflict or any other conflict. Indeed, it is important that we here in the Council not justify the situation in Yemen because of things that are happening elsewhere in the world. We have also received credible reports that the Houthis continue to seriously abuse and mistreat the detainees, including United States diplomatic staff members who have been held since 2021. Reports also indicate that Houthi officials have warned families of the detained against speaking out publicly, and the actual number of detainees may therefore be significantly higher than we know. Today I want to recognize the brave voices of the Yemeni civil society organizations that are advocating for the immediate and unconditional release of all those unjustly detained. The Council must lend its support to those efforts and speak with one voice to condemn the Houthis’ detention of the United Nations and other personnel and demand their immediate, unconditional release. The second issue I want to raise is the dire humanitarian crisis in Yemen, which has been exacerbated by the Houthis’ obstruction of critical aid and their failed record of governance. In just one example, the Houthis are standing in the way of efforts to combat the spread of cholera in Yemen. Their denial of basic medical care has killed hundreds since October. That was a preventable tragedy and those are preventable deaths. The collaboration between the Government of the Republic of Yemen and international organizations on vaccination campaigns contrasts sharply with the Houthis’ obstruction and, in some instances, outright prohibition of ongoing vaccination efforts, which has led to a spike in polio and other preventable diseases in Houthi-controlled areas. Our message to the Houthis is simple  — stop obstructing aid and stop hindering humanitarian efforts. Lives hang in the balance. The Houthis are deliberately trying to distract attention from their failed record by focusing on other events in the region. We should not allow them or ourselves to fall into that trap. The Yemeni people know better, and members of the Council should stop making excuses for the Houthis. The United States again calls on all Council members to unequivocally condemn the Houthis’ continued escalatory attacks in the Red Sea, the Gulf of Aden and the surrounding waterways. Those attacks have continued despite the Council’s demand in resolution 2722 (2024) for the Houthis to “cease all such attacks”. Those escalatory actions are a grave threat to international navigational freedoms, as well as regional peace and security, and they have driven up prices and caused delays in the delivery of critical humanitarian items such as food and medicine to Yemenis. We should make no mistake. Iran has directly enabled those attacks. The Houthis’ use of an Iranian Samad-3 drone in the 19 July attack on Israel was yet another example of Iranian-supplied weapons enabling deadly terrorist attacks in the region. The Houthis have expanded their ties to other Iranian- backed terrorist organizations in the region in an effort to further sow chaos in Yemen and across the Middle East. We emphasized it last month and let me repeat it now  — the only appropriate response is to condemn those attacks and demand that they stop, immediately and without preconditions. In addition, it is high time the Council did something about Houthi attacks and activities. To start with, we should take steps to deny them weapons and supplies, particularly the critical materiel that they have long been receiving from Iran, in contravention of the United Nations arms embargo established in resolution 2216 (2015). The Permanent Representative of Yemen recently requested additional support in enforcing that resolution, and we should heed his call. Let us be clear. Member States that stand in the way of holding the Houthis and Iran to account are complicit in undermining the credibility of the Council’s resolutions. As for its part, the United States will continue to support Israel’s right to self-defence in the face of those unprecedented attacks. Just because peace has proved elusive and this moment is marked by Houthi escalation, it does not mean that we can give in to cynicism or, worse, let the conflict slide down the Council’s agenda. That would be a grave injustice to the Yemeni people and to our mandate to maintain international peace and security. We must therefore continue to call out the escalatory actions of the Houthis and to call on all parties to work for peace.

I would like to express my gratitude to Special Envoy Hans Grundberg and Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs Director Lisa Doughten for their informative updates. I also welcome the participation of the Permanent Representative of Yemen in this meeting. While the international community is monitoring the volatile situation in the Middle East with grave concern, it is regrettable that we have seen no significant progress on the ground in Yemen. Instead, we are witnessing ongoing Houthi attacks on vessels, including the 13 August attack on a Liberian-flagged oil tanker in the Red Sea, the incommunicado detention of personnel, including United Nations staff, and a continuing humanitarian crisis. Against that dire backdrop, I would like to address the following points. First, the Republic of Korea calls urgently on the Houthis to immediately cease all illegal ongoing attacks on vessels in the Red Sea, the Gulf of Aden and the broader region. Their reckless and hostile activities will only undercut the arduous efforts toward a peaceful settlement for all of the Yemeni people. Furthermore, we urge the Houthis to refrain from any further provocative actions that could exacerbate the uncertain regional security situation in the coming days and weeks. Secondly, we resolutely condemn the Houthis’ storming of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights in Sana’a and their seizure of documents and property by force. That alarming incident is even more concerning given the Houthis’ enforced disappearance and continued detention of United Nations, diplomatic, civil society and private-sector personnel. The Republic of Korea, in its unwavering support for the international community’s efforts to alleviate the suffering of the Yemeni people, appeals to the Houthis to release all detainees immediately and unconditionally, and to fully cooperate with the global community in order to realize a brighter future for the Yemeni people. Thirdly, the Republic of Korea is gravely concerned about the humanitarian situation on the ground. The recent devastating floods have claimed dozens of lives and impacted a huge number of families, significantly increasing humanitarian needs. Additionally, the spread of cholera continues to pose a serious threat to communities, and heightened food insecurity and hunger remain major concerns. We are of the view that the international community should refocus its sustained attention on the deteriorating humanitarian situation in Yemen. As my delegation has said several times, we are committed to continuing our active contributions to support humanitarian needs, in close cooperation with all the relevant stakeholders. Fourthly, we very much hope that the Yemeni Government and the Houthis will faithfully implement their commitments to de-escalate the ongoing economic conflicts for the greater good. Returning to tit-for-tat escalation, especially through hostile economic measures by the Houthis, will only inflict undue suffering on the innocent Yemeni people, disproportionately affecting women and children. Against that backdrop, we reaffirm our unflinching support for Mr. Grundberg’s steadfast efforts in tackling those multiple ongoing challenges and laying the groundwork for an inclusive, Yemeni-led political transition under United Nations auspices through his continuing engagement on the ground. We also hope that all the Yemeni parties, particularly the Houthis, will respond to those endeavours and commit to a genuine negotiation process to pave the way for a better future for all of Yemen and its people.

I shall now make a statement in my capacity as the representative of Sierra Leone. I have the honour to deliver this statement on behalf of the three African members of the Security Council plus (A3+), namely, Algeria, Guyana, Mozambique and my own country, Sierra Leone. We would like to express our sympathies to the Government of Yemen and the families of those who lost their lives during the Al-Hudaydah flooding on 8 August, and to the many people who have been displaced as a result. We want to thank the briefers — Special Envoy Hans Grundberg and Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs Director of Financing and Partnerships Lisa Doughten — whose analytical clarity and insight have deepened our understanding of the current situation in Yemen. We also welcome the participation of the representative of Yemen in this meeting. At the outset, the members of the A3+ are gravely concerned about the fact that the Houthis have once again escalated their attacks on United Nations premises. The Houthis’ deliberate, unjustifiable and unacceptable seizure on 3 August of the headquarters of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights in Sana’a is a brazen violation not only of international law and the Convention on the Safety of United Nations and Associated Personnel but also of the Charter of the United Nations. Such actions undermine the integrity of international operations and represent a direct assault on the principles of neutrality and impartiality that govern the work of the United Nations. United Nations operations are conducted in the common interests of the international community and in line with the purposes and principles enshrined in the Charter. United Nations premises should never be a target of attacks, and nor should United Nations employees. We add our voices to those of the Special Envoy and Mr. Volker Türk, the High Commissioner for Human Rights, in asking the Houthis to leave the United Nations premises and to return all the belongings of United Nations personnel immediately. The inviolability of United Nations facilities must be respected and any form of aggression against its staff is unacceptable. We are also gravely concerned about the fact that scores of detained staff from the United Nations and other international organizations have still not been released and their families have not been granted access to them. The refusal to release them or allow them access to their families constitutes a serious breach of international law. Those actions not only undermine regional and United Nations efforts for peace but also exacerbate the already dire humanitarian situation in Yemen. The continued detention of aid workers and United Nations staff is a setback in the progress towards a peaceful resolution and a betrayal of the humanitarian principles that guide international interventions. After nearly a decade of conflict and humanitarian crisis, millions of Yemenis have been displaced and are facing starvation. The drop in food consumption and increases in deprivation levels are worrisome, and we hope that the World Food Programme can resume its food distribution as soon as possible. We call on all parties to comply with international law, including international humanitarian law, in order to ensure the provision of humanitarian assistance to the Yemeni people. The reality is that poverty has deepened. The people of Yemen cannot afford a renewed conflict. To that end, we would like to make four key points. First, we reiterate our strong support for United Nations and regional efforts towards a Yemeni-owned and Yemeni-led political settlement, and we urge all the relevant actors to prioritize diplomatic channels. It is urgent that we work to re-establish the truce that was in place prior to the recent escalation of the Israel-Gaza conflict. It will involve an integrated approach and genuine compromise on the part of the various actors, mediated by diplomatic efforts under the leadership of the United Nations. Other efforts by regional countries must also remain at the forefront of the process, and increased efforts to secure a ceasefire will be needed. In that regard, we commend the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Sultanate of Oman for their unrelenting efforts to achieve a peaceful settlement of the Yemeni conflict. We must safeguard the progress that has been made through diplomacy. Continued military confrontation can only fuel the conflict and risks increasing the suffering of civilians. The A3+ also commends the Office of the Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for Yemen and that of UN- Women Yemen for their recent consultative meeting in Mukalla, which brought together 70 representatives from different sectors of Yemeni society, including Government officials, civil society leaders and political representatives. It was aimed at developing a bottom- up vision for the inclusive process, focusing on key priorities such as economic and security measures, humanitarian needs and de-escalation strategies. A significant outcome was a unanimous agreement on the vital role of women in political and economic dialogues, highlighting the importance of their full participation in achieving sustainable peace. Secondly, we call for an end to the ongoing violations and attacks against United Nations premises and for the immediate and unconditional release of all detainees. It is regrettable that following talks in Muscat on the release of all detainees, the Houthis have taken a path of undermining the progress achieved in Oman. Personnel of the United Nations are deployed to provide comprehensive support in facilitating the conduct and fulfilment of the mandate of the Organization, and they are not party to any conflict. The continuing attacks on United Nations premises and personnel are an attempt to extinguish the tiny amount of hope that is left in the Houthi-controlled areas. They also represent a strategy designed to finally put to rest any thought of dissent in their areas of operations. The international community should ensure that the Houthis are denied any opportunity to entrench themselves. Thirdly, we urge the Houthis to cease their maritime attacks in the Red Sea. The recent report of the Secretary- General has highlighted the disturbing increase in such incidents, which not only threaten regional stability but diminish the prospects for a peaceful resolution to the conflict. The success of their attacks has given the Houthis broad flexibility to manoeuvre easily in the region and in Yemen, but it is also diminishing hopes that diplomatic efforts can succeed. The continued affronts in the Red Sea have led to the suspension of a long- awaited peace following almost two years of calm. The gains made so far have been reversed and everything is at a standstill. That said, while we urge the Houthis to cease all maritime attacks, we urge countries with influence not to fan the flames of a military stand-off in the Red Sea and therefore to support efforts to bring peace to Yemen and promote the economic prosperity of Yemenis. In that connection, the members of the A3+ emphasize the urgency of a ceasefire in Gaza and the swift implementation of resolution 2735 (2024), which remains key to stability in the Middle East. Fourthly, we urge donor countries to support the humanitarian response plan for Yemen. The current realities just described by Ms. Doughten are dire. The lack of funding for the response plan is a source of concern and requires that efforts be scaled up, especially with the threat of a regional war imminent. For millions of Yemenis, particularly children, their most pressing issues are ensuring their daily sustenance and a resumption of economic activities. In conclusion, the members of the A3+ will remain steadfast in their efforts to achieve a peaceful and stable Yemen. We are committed to working alongside United Nations and regional partners to ensure the return of normalcy to the country following years of conflict and instability. I now resume my functions as President of the Council. I give the floor to the representative of Yemen.

At the outset, allow me to congratulate you, Mr. President, on your presidency of the Security Council this month. I wish you every success. I also thank Sierra Leone’s predecessor, the friendly Russian Federation, for its presidency of the Council last month. And I thank Mr. Hans Grundberg and Ms. Lisa Doughten for their briefings. Yemen today stands at the threshold of a dangerous and difficult phase. Ten years after the coup by the Houthi terrorist militias and their war against the Yemeni State, and 10 years after the national consensus was formulated and the aspirations of the Yemeni people for stability, security, building and development were articulated, this war has left in its wake a catastrophic economic and humanitarian situation. Despite all regional and international efforts to end this conflict and achieve peace, specifically the efforts of our brothers in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Sultanate of Oman to resolve the Yemeni crisis, the Houthi militias are moving towards a resumption of the war, escalating hostilities in several governorates and attacking hundreds of villages and defenceless people in various areas brought under their control by force. They have escalated their crimes and violations against civilians, including killing and displacing people and bombing homes, in an attempt to break the will of Yemenis, subjugate them to their coup scheme and extremist ideas, wage their systematic economic war against the Yemeni Government and people, threaten international navigation in the Red Sea and the Bab Al-Mandab Strait and endanger regional peace and security. Those militias insist on prolonging the conflict, which would multiply human suffering and thwart regional and international efforts to end that war and restore the path to peace. In keeping with the principle of flexibility and with its continued support for regional and international efforts to end this conflict, the Yemeni Government reaffirms that it is determined to spare the Yemeni people in the areas under the control of the Houthi militias any additional burdens in their living conditions as a result of the militias’ unilateral policies, to alleviate the people’s suffering and to mitigate the impact of this war. In that context, my Government calls on the Council and the international community to uphold their responsibilities to maintain pressure on those militias and impel them to prioritize the interests of the Yemeni people, not to hold them hostage to the interests of the militias’ backers or to drag Yemen and its people from one war into another. Instead, there must be positive engagement with the peace efforts led by our brothers in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to launch a political process that meets the aspirations of all Yemenis to restore State institutions that guarantee rights, freedoms, equal citizenship, security, stability and development, in accordance with the agreed terms of reference for a political solution, namely, the Gulf Cooperation Council Initiative and its Implementation Mechanism, the outcomes of the comprehensive National Dialogue Conference and the relevant Council resolutions, in particular resolution 2216 (2015), which constitutes a road map for addressing the Yemeni crisis. Humanitarian and relief work in areas controlled by the Houthi militias is subject to further violations and obstacles, as those militias are forcing international organizations and United Nations agencies operating in areas under their control to obtain prior approval from the militias when employing any local or foreign employee, and to hand over the staffing chart of each organization. The militias are also preventing the employees of those organizations from leaving the country. Recently, those militias stormed and shut down the headquarters of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights in Sana’a and seized its contents. That step follows on from the militias’ approach of putting pressure on those organizations and United Nations agencies to tighten control over them and exploit those entities’ activities to serve their goals. We regret to say that more than two months after dozens of employees of international and local organizations and United Nations agencies operating in Yemen were detained — despite the calls and appeals of the Yemeni Government at the highest level — the measures taken by the United Nations to protect their employees and save their lives have fallen short of the level required and expected. The absence of such measures and the hesitant international stance have emboldened those militias to continue perpetrating their violations and crimes against the workers of those organizations and United Nations agencies, without any regard for the disastrous effects of those practices on the difficult economic and humanitarian conditions in the areas under militia control. The Yemeni Government once again calls for the headquarters of international organizations and United Nations agencies operating in Yemen to be relocated to the interim capital of Aden. The time has come to take that important step in order to preserve the safety of humanitarian work and the lives of humanitarian workers and to ensure a climate conducive to the performance of humanitarian tasks and the provision of humanitarian assistance to all groups in need without discrimination and without endangering them. A number of governorates, including the city of Hudaydah, have been hit by heavy rains and torrential flooding, causing massive damage to infrastructure and massive destruction of public and private property, claiming dozens of lives, displacing the population, some of whom are internally displaced persons, and disrupting public services. The Yemeni Government calls on all regional and international partners, including financial institutions and international and humanitarian organizations, to support its efforts in addressing that damage and disaster, whose magnitude is too great for the Government and local authorities in the affected areas to tackle alone. We call for urgent support in every form to rescue those affected and rehabilitate the infrastructure. The cumulative effects of war and climate change-related disasters have exacerbated the humanitarian situation in Yemen, making the Government-led recovery process more difficult. Urgent action is needed to address emergency humanitarian needs in affected cities, especially after the Yemeni Government declared the city of Hudaydah a disaster area, as well as to address the long-term effects of climate change and reduce the increasing risk of climate-related disasters that threaten the country. In that context, we commend the urgent relief response by our brothers in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia through the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Centre and its relief interventions to alleviate the suffering of citizens in the affected areas. The Yemeni Government is working to take a number of measures aimed at alleviating the suffering of the Yemeni people, mitigating the disastrous economic, social and humanitarian effects and consequences, halting the economic decline and stabilizing public services in the face of major challenges, including the suspension of oil exports, which constitute 70 per cent of the total public resources of the State, for more than two years, owing to the Houthi militia’s targeting of oil ports, thereby depriving the Yemeni people of their most important resources. Those efforts entail developing strategic plans for the Government, prioritizing sustainable solutions at the service and development levels and forming regional and international partnerships. In addition, there are strenuous efforts under way to promote transparency and accountability, combat corruption and implement economic, financial and administrative reforms, as the hallmark of the present phase. Given the bleak picture of the current humanitarian situation in Yemen, and in view of the huge funding gap for the 2024 humanitarian response plan for Yemen, the decline in international funding for humanitarian operations in Yemen has had a catastrophic impact on various sectors, especially the health sector, as more than 1,000 health facilities are expected to close, putting the lives of more than 500,000 women at risk and depriving 600,000 children of vaccination and health- care services, in addition to compromising the capacity to tackle the outbreak of many epidemic diseases. We once again call upon all brotherly and friendly countries and international donor organizations to support the humanitarian response plan in a manner that is commensurate with the scale of existing humanitarian need in various sectors, and we call upon the United Nations and the international community to maintain the humanitarian situation in Yemen on its list of priorities, in order to overcome the current circumstances and avert a potential humanitarian catastrophe. Finally, we call upon the international community to provide all forms of support to Yemen to achieve a comprehensive and sustainable peace, restore State institutions and overcome the deteriorating humanitarian and economic conditions.

There are no more names inscribed on the list of speakers. I now invite Council members to informal consultations to continue our discussion on the subject.