Peace in Yemen ‘So Much More’ Than Threat Containment, Special Envoy Tells Security Council, Urging Support for Its People
Attacks by Ansar Allah — often referred to as the Houthis — against Israel and subsequent retaliatory strikes on infrastructure in Yemen continue, the head of the UN presence there told the Security Council today, as he urged humanitarian, economic and political action to alleviate the crisis before it is too late.
“While the Red Sea remains calm following the cessation-of-hostilities agreement between the United States and Ansar Allah,” said Hans Grundberg, Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for Yemen, the latter launched multiple attacks on targets in Israel over the last month. Israel struck the ports of Hudaydah and Saleef, as well as Sana’a Airport, in response. “I reiterate my call for all actors to protect civilians and civilian infrastructure,” he said, also urging the Council to exert “maximum” pressure on Ansar Allah to unconditionally release the UN and other staff it has detained arbitrarily.
Recalling his recent meetings with representatives of both Yemen and Ansar Allah, as well as key regional actors, he noted the “general consensus” that only a negotiated settlement can resolve the conflict in Yemen. “I emphasize again, however, that time is not on our side,” he continued, reporting that multiple frontlines across Yemen remain fragile and risk “descending into more-active fighting”. Marib remains a cause for particular concern — with reports of troop movement and occasional flareups — in addition to sporadic activity on other front lines.
“More can — and should — be done to alleviate the humanitarian and economic hardships faced by the Yemeni people,” he added. This includes allowing the Government to export oil and gas and facilitating the unobstructed flow of goods across the country. Warning that “the cost of inaction is high”, he said that Yemen cannot afford more years of division, economic collapse and human suffering. He added: “Peace in Yemen is so much more than a containment of a threat. It is, first and foremost, about the Yemenis.”
Next to brief was Joyce Msuya, Assistant Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Deputy Emergency Relief Coordinator, who first outlined several positive developments. A key road between Aden and Sana’a was reopened on 29 May after being closed for nearly seven years, and the European Union has pledged €80 million in humanitarian funding to support critical programming. However, over 17 million people — nearly half of Yemen’s population — are estimated to be acutely hungry, and malnutrition affects 1.3 million pregnant and breastfeeding women and 2.3 million children under the age of five.
Without sustained humanitarian support, she continued, an estimated 6 million more people could end up in emergency levels of food insecurity and nearly 7 million people could be denied access to life-saving care. Nevertheless, humanitarian operations continue, and in the first three months of 2025, an average of over 4 million people a month received life-saving humanitarian assistance, 4.7 million people received regular emergency food assistance and nearly 90,000 people received agriculture and fisheries support.
“Humanitarians are clearly doing their best, but our response is constrained by the lack of funding and falls short of what the people of Yemen need,” she emphasized. Further, she observed: “Ultimately, life-saving humanitarian assistance — though vital for communities’ survival right now — will not be enough.” She therefore asked the Council to ensure scaled-up, flexible funding, based on needs, to “sustain our aid operation”; take “real action” to see UN and other detained staff released; and “maintain your unified support for efforts towards lasting peace”.
Council Members Urge Humanitarian Funding, Action
In the ensuing discussion, the United Kingdom’s echoed the warning about projected increases in food insecurity and malnutrition compounded by disease outbreaks, also pointing out that 4.8 million people are currently internally displaced in Yemen. “This dire situation will get worse,” he stressed. For its part, the United Kingdom recently enrolled in a joint programme with the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Centre to provide cholera vaccines and strengthen local response capacity in the most high-risk and affected communities.
The representative of Somalia, also speaking for Algeria, Guyana and Sierra Leone, expressed similar concern over the rapidly deteriorating humanitarian and health situation in Yemen. “The increase in infections and mortality rates from febrile illnesses — including malaria, dengue fever and cholera — is particularly troubling,” he said, adding: “Without immediate international support, the risk of a widespread epidemic will increase significantly.” On that, Panama’s delegate noted that Yemen has recorded more than a third of the world’s cholera cases and 18 per cent of global cholera-related deaths.
Turning to the economic crisis, Denmark’s delegate emphasized that, according to the World Bank, “Yemen now ranks as the third poorest country in the world”. Further, half of the people in Government-controlled areas face crisis-and-above levels of food insecurity. Warning that “more children will go to bed hungry and health facilities will cease operating” without sustained efforts to improve the economy alongside adequate humanitarian funding, she recalled that Denmark has provided more than $200 million to the humanitarian response over the last decade.
Speakers also Highlight Regional Dimension
“Long known for its rich history, vibrant culture and strategic maritime heritage, Yemen today stands shattered,” observed Pakistan’s delegate, urging donors to respond “swiftly and generously” to the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs’ appeal. Regional dimensions “unfortunately continue to escalate”, he continued, stressing that a lasting resolution requires an immediate ceasefire in Gaza. In that vein, he pointed to “the fruits of effective diplomacy and leadership in the successful ceasefire negotiated between the United States and the Houthis”.
“What is needed is to urgently revitalize the negotiations track under the UN aegis and intensify work with all sides to the Yemeni conflict, whilst taking into account the legitimate interests and the realities on the ground,” stressed the Russian Federation’s representative. Israel’s ongoing military campaign in Gaza — coupled with its obstruction of humanitarian aid — remain a justification for anti-Israeli action by Ansar Allah, he said. He therefore urged “quiet diplomacy” to resolve this problem — which those currently sending threatening signals to the Houthis prioritize in other contexts.
In her turn, the representative of the United States said that there have not been any ceasefire violations since her country “successfully defended freedom of navigation in the Red Sea and surrounding waterways”. However, the Houthis continue to threaten regional peace and stability and bear “overwhelming responsibility” for the Yemenis’ suffering. Underscoring that “we stand with Israel against Iranian-backed terrorist groups”, she also said that her country sees evidence that the Houthis are acquiring China-origin dual-use components and imagery from sources, such as the Chang Guang Satellite Technology Company.
However, rejecting these “ridiculous accusations”, China’s representative said that the Chinese company in question has publicly categorized them as “a malicious slandering” as it has no business connections with either Iran or the Houthis. The current tension in the Red Sea is closely connected with the Gaza conflict, he stressed, underlining the need for a permanent ceasefire there. Noting the General Assembly’s imminent emergency special session and vote on a draft resolution concerning Palestine, he wondered whether the United States will show that it is “really constructive and responsible on this issue” at that time.
Maritime Shipping, Global Commerce Still Affected
The representative of France, meanwhile, condemned recent Houthi attacks against Israel as an unacceptable threat to regional security. The Houthis — supported by Iran — must cease their destabilizing actions in Yemen, the Red Sea and the Middle East, and he urged the Council to speak “with one voice to condemn them unambiguously”. Further calling on the Houthis to cease all disruptions of maritime traffic in the Red Sea, he affirmed that France will continue its commitment within the framework of the European Union’s Operation Aspides to protect maritime security and freedom of navigation.
“Merchant and commercial vessels continue to divert through alternative maritime shipping corridors, making the Red Sea region one of the most disrupted maritime trade routes globally,” emphasized Greece’s representative. Therefore Greece, too, remains committed to Operation Aspides — “with full respect to its defensive posture”, he added. Additionally, he, along with Slovenia’s representative, joined others in calling for a full investigation into the recent death in captivity of a World Food Programme (WFP) staff member.
“The prolonged and systematic detention of humanitarian and UN personnel is not only a depressing and self-harming moral failure,” stressed the representative of the Republic of Korea — “it also constitutes a violation of international humanitarian law”. He also pointed out that, despite a decline in Houthi attacks on commercial vessels, maritime traffic through the Red Sea and Suez Canal remains approximately 60 per cent below pre-Gaza-crisis levels. This, he said, underscores the ongoing threat to global commerce, supply chains and maritime security.
Yemen’s representative, on that, pointed out that the Houthis’ hijacking of ships, planting of sea mines and piracy in the Red Sea “did not start in 2023”. Rather, it has been a “recurrent Houthi approach for years”, and he added that the terrorist Houthi militias — “backed by the Iranian regime” — have destroyed State institutions, devastated livelihoods and left behind one of the worst humanitarian crises on the planet. “We doubt the Houthis and their supporters have any serious intention to change their behaviour,” he said. “All peace efforts have failed — and will continue to fail — as long as there is no genuine partner for peace,” he stressed.
He went on to emphasize that the Houthis are an armed ideological group that refuses to acknowledge equal citizenship, civil rights, freedoms and political partnership. There can be no development, economy or sustainable peace “under armed blackmail”, he stressed, calling on the Council to stop Houthi violations and demand the unconditional release of all detained and kidnapped persons. He also urged UN agencies and international organizations to seriously consider relocating their headquarters to Aden to guarantee safety and security for humanitarian and development workers.