Civilians ‘Paying the Price’ of Conflict in Yemen, Speaker Tells Security Council, Calling on Parties to Refrain from Escalation, Pursue Dialogue
Amid the ratcheting up of regional tensions and a worsening humanitarian situation, all stakeholders must put the interests of Yemen’s people first, to restore peace and stability to the country, the United Nations official charged with mediating a sustainable resolution to the conflict told the Security Council today.
Hans Grundberg, Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for Yemen, said that engagements with Yemeni and international stakeholders in New York, Tehran and Moscow reaffirmed that a peaceful resolution of the nine-year-conflict is viable and achievable, and that the Yemeni people require international support. “These are not just mere aspirations,” he emphasized, reiterating that parties have made commitments to establishing a road map for peace, including a nationwide ceasefire. On the military front, relative calm prevails on the front lines, and work continues on the economic front to foster cooperation for stability. “The tools are there,” he stressed, calling on parties to demonstrate the necessary will, and to put the needs of Yemenis first.
Turning to the security situation, he voiced concern that the year-long intensifying military escalation in the Middle East risked spiralling out of control, adding: “Regrettably, Yemen is part of this escalation and risks being further dragged in.” He called Ansar Allah’s repeated attacks on civilian shipping “unacceptable”, pointing to the narrowly avoided environmental disaster after the attack on the MV Sounion. He voiced concern over reported casualties and damage to critical infrastructure following retaliatory air strikes carried out by Israel on Hodeidah, also noting strikes by the United States on four Yemeni governorates.
Yemenis yearn and work for peace, as their space for peacebuilding is under attack, through arbitrary detentions and intimidation, especially in Ansar Allah-controlled areas, he went on, calling for the immediate and unconditional release of all those detained, including 17 United Nations personnel. Civil society organizations are particularly impacted by such actions, he said, pointing to the lack of due process and the latest threat of so-called criminal prosecution to some of those detained, adding: “I have repeatedly told Ansar Allah these kinds of actions do not signal an interest in negotiating peace.”
Joyce Msuya, Acting Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, also called for the immediate and unconditional release of the UN personnel, non-governmental organization staff and others arbitrarily detained by the Houthis since June this year, as well as UN colleagues detained since 2021 and 2023. She “categorically rejected” allegations against her colleagues, echoing concern expressed by the Principals of affected organizations in a statement on 12 October, about the reported referral to “criminal prosecution” by the Houthi de facto authorities of several arbitrarily detained colleagues. Detailing the UN’s diplomatic engagements with Houthi de facto authorities, she said that, as a result, most detained staff have had contact with their relatives, and those requiring health care have received it.
Turning to issues concerning migration, she expressed condolences to the families of 48 migrants who lost their lives off the Djibouti coast, when smugglers forced them off their vessel in open sea, pointing out that 2024 marks the deadliest year for migrants crossing the sea between Yemen and the Horn of Africa. Such challenges call for regional solutions, she added.
Voicing alarm over ongoing attacks from and on Yemen, which damaged critical infrastructure, including in Hodeidah and Ras Issa, she underscored the need for restraint and to ensure Yemen’s Red Sea ports remain open and operational. On the humanitarian situation, which is worsening in scale and severity, she reported that in August, the number of people who do not have enough food to eat soared to unprecedented levels. Meanwhile, cholera continues to spread, with more than 203,000 suspected cases reported since March. With as many as 18.2 million Yemenis in need, the humanitarian appeal for the country is 41 per cent funded, she noted, stressing the need for urgent additional funding for critical response sectors, including food security and cholera response. As well, she emphasized the need for long-term funding for chronically underfunded gender-based violence programmes.
Najat Jumaan, Professor and Board Member of Jumaan Trading and Investment Company, then highlighted the challenges faced by the private sector over several cycles of conflict in Yemen. The first conflict period seriously impacted the economy and the private sector, including factories, warehouses and the transport of trucks and goods between cities, she said, adding that the private sector nonetheless shouldered its responsibilities and continued to pay people.
During the second phase of the conflict, “other instruments of economic war were used”, she went on, pointing to divisions within sovereign institutions, including Yemen’s Central Bank and national air company. As a result, the exchange rate went up, customs and excise doubled and international financial institutions refrained from cooperating with Yemeni banks, she said, also noting a consequent flight of young professionals and capital. As well, transportation between major population centres was affected due to destroyed infrastructure and road closures.
The resultant war economy has concentrated benefits in the hands of armed groups and deprived Yemenis of a better future, she said, adding that the situation has been exacerbated by the international conflict unfolding in the Red Sea, which has led to a rise in the cost of goods and tamped down on private sector investments. In that context, she called for a UN solution to ensure peace and stability restored to the Red Sea. As well, she urged Yemeni parties and the international community to support the UN-led efforts to restore peace and stabilize the economy. She urged all those working for peace to enable the reopening of roads, the equitable distribution of wealth, ensure support for Yemeni institutions and mobilize funding for recovery and reconstruction.
In the ensuing debate, the United Kingdom’s representative was among Council members underscoring the pressing humanitarian need across all of Yemen and reiterating her call on the Houthis to release aid workers, who have been detained for 130 days. Echoing concerns that those detainees may now face a “so-called judicial process”, she warned that the use of special political courts will not result in fair outcomes for detainees.
“It is the civilian population that is paying the price,” said the representative of Switzerland, Council President for October, speaking in her national capacity, to draw attention to the humanitarian repercussions of the conflict, with four out of five Yemenis living in poverty. Voicing concern over recent air strikes, she called on parties to refrain from escalation. “Dialogue is the only option,” she emphasized, echoing other Council members, including China’s delegate.
Ecuador’s representative expressed concern about the Houthis’ statements that they will not cease their attacks, calling for maximum restraint. Amid ongoing armed clashes, he urged sustained regional and international support for the Special Envoy’s mediation efforts.
Japan’s representative was among several speakers expressing concern over food insecurity and disease, urging the international community to scale up assistance. Noting that Yemenis’ livelihoods heavily depend upon imports, she reported that in September Japan committed to grant nearly $5 million to the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) for a project to streamline the import of food, humanitarian aid and other goods at the Port of Aden.
An immediate and permanent ceasefire in Gaza is a critical first step towards lasting peace throughout the region, stressed Guyana’s delegate, who spoke also for Algeria, Sierra Leone and Mozambique. Lamenting that, despite the severity of the situation, “Yemen has often been underrepresented in the global media compared to other crises, leading to less public awareness and, consequently, less funding and aid”, she urgently called on the international community to mobilize resources for the 2024 Humanitarian Response Plan for Yemen.
Similarly, the Russian Federation’s representative stated that ending Israel’s military campaign in Gaza, Lebanon and Syria is what would help most in stabilizing the situation in Red Sea. “Equal pressure must be exerted on the so-called coalition of the U.S. and the U.K.,” who continue weekly and indiscriminate attacks on Yemeni territory in violation of international law, similar to what “they use in other countries and regions”. Striking Yemen is unacceptable and destroying its port infrastructure could have the direst humanitarian consequence, he warned.
Countering that assertion was the speaker for France, who deplored “Iranian-backed Houthis” continued attacks on commercial vessels in the Red Sea and underscored that States have the right to defend their vessels against such attacks. He further condemned the attacks carried out by the Houthis against Israel, which fuel the escalation in the region, and called on Iran to cease its support for destabilizing actions in the Middle East.
Echoing that view, the delegate of the United States noted that the Houthis continue to sow chaos and disruption threatening international peace and security. The Houthis are not acting alone, he added, pointing to verifiable evidence that they have been receiving weapons and military supplies from Iran in violation of the UN arms embargo. Pointing to alarming public reports that a permanent Council member considered providing the Houthis with supersonic anti-ballistic missiles and may be negotiating to give them small arms, he underscored “it has never been more important to enforce the arms embargo established under resolution 2216 (2015)” — a call also made by the representative of the Republic of Korea.
“A dangerous and unending tit-for-tat is not in anyone’s interest,” underscored the representative of Slovenia, who urged all Yemeni actors to display courage and determination to refocus efforts on an inclusive Yemeni peace process and the Special Envoy’s road map.
For his part, Malta’s representative called for an inclusive political process, ensuring the participation of women. The UN and Member States facilitating talks must put in place enhanced and targeted measures to achieve the 30 per cent quota agreed in the National Dialogue Conference, he added.
Rounding out the discussion, Yemen’s representative emphasized his Government’s tireless efforts to work towards a political solution to the conflict, in line with the Gulf Cooperation Council initiative and Council resolution 2216 (2015). However, he blamed the Houthi militias — supported by Iran — for committing human rights violations, planting landmines, destroying the economy, and establishing a parallel economy to finance their wars, thereby depriving Yemenis of security, food, their present and future.
The international community had been “lax” in dealing with the group, he said, underscoring the urgent need to enhance his Government’s institutional capacity, so it can protect regional waters. He called on the Council to implement its resolutions on the Yemeni crisis, thereby banning Iranian weapons and drying up financial sources, and forcing the Houthis to choose the path of peace. The international community should also support Yemen in dealing with the deteriorating humanitarian and economic situation. On the plight of the arbitrarily detained, he called for their immediate release and requested UN agencies and international organizations to relocate to Aden, the temporary capital, to ensure effective and safe operations.