Note: A complete summary of today’s Security Council meeting will be made available upon completion.
Briefings
HANS GRUNDBERG, Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for Yemen, said that, one year since the parties agreed to a truce under the United Nations auspices, the country is again at a critical juncture. The truce has continued to deliver well beyond its expiration six months ago. The international community has not seen such a serious opportunity for making progress towards ending the conflict in eight years. However, “the tide could still turn unless the parties take bolder steps toward peace”. The parties have recently shown that negotiations can deliver results. In March, they agreed in Switzerland under the auspices of the United Nations and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) to release almost 900 conflict-related detainees from all sides. They also agreed to meet again in May to make further progress on their commitment as part of the Stockholm Agreement to release all conflict-related detainees. Moreover, they agreed to undertake joint visits to each other’s detention facilities, including in Marib and Sana’a.
The release operations reunited hundreds of Yemeni families with their loved ones, renewing the hopes of many more Yemenis that their relatives, too, may soon be released. “The emotional scenes of the detainees being released over the last few days demonstrated the power of peaceful negotiations,” he said. Another encouraging sign is that many aspects of the truce continue to be implemented beyond its lifespan. Yemen is experiencing the longest period of relative calm yet in this ruinous war, he said, adding that food, fuel and other commercial ships continue to flow into Hudaydah and commercial flights continue between Sana’a International Airport and Amman.
However, this is not enough, he cautioned, stressing that Yemenis still live with unimaginable hardship every day. In this context, recent developments are a reminder that “escalation can quickly reverse hard-won gains”. He expressed concern about recent military activity in Marib, Shabwa, Taiz and other governorates, recalling that in the past, escalation – particularly in Marib – has spilled over to front lines elsewhere. Against this backdrop, he called on the parties to exercise maximum restraint, refrain from provocative actions and continue to engage with his Office to ensure maintained de-escalation. The truce ‑ while an important achievement ‑ was meant to be a temporary measure to open space for political talks to sustainably end the war, he said, noting that it cannot be relied on to deliver a peaceful future to Yemen.
He engaged with the parties to identify next steps towards a permanent ceasefire and the reactivation of a political process under United Nations auspices. Further, he has engaged with them on measures that can alleviate the economic and humanitarian situation in the country. Building on the achievements of the truce, representatives of Saudi Arabia and Oman have recently been in Sana’a, where they have engaged in constructive dialogue. Representatives from Saudi Arabia have also held productive discussions with members of the Presidential Leadership Council in Riyadh. A supportive regional environment will reinforce peace efforts in Yemen, he asserted.
He emphasized that any new agreement in Yemen must be a clear step towards a Yemeni-led political process. As such, it needs to include a strong commitment from the parties to meet and negotiate in good faith with one another. The political process needs to orient towards the future that so many Yemeni women and men have told us they want: “One of accountable governance, equal citizenship, and social and economic justice.” Accordingly, he urged for a Yemeni-owned ceasefire that durably stops the violence, ensures the safety and security of Yemenis and builds trust for a political process. Moreover, the parties must refrain from using economic measures as tools of hostility, and instead, create the conditions to allow people and businesses to work unimpeded.
He also called for greater freedom of movement of people and goods across all of Yemen, as well as the full opening of Sana’a airport. As part of the work on military and security issues, his Office continues to engage with the delegates of the parties to the Military Coordination Committee. On the economic work, he continues to engage the parties, civil society organizations, experts and researchers, the private sector and international financial institutions. All this needs to be rooted in the work towards an inclusive, intra-Yemeni political process, as “only Yemenis can debate and ultimately decide on the future political, economic and security governance of Yemen”.
GHADA MUDAWI, Deputy Director, Operations and Advocacy Division, United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, noting the expiry of the truce in Yemen, which provided precious relief after many years of war, called on the international community to seize the unprecedented opportunity to make more progress towards peace. Noting that the continued easing of import restrictions in recent weeks has allowed more commercial goods into the country, she added that, in March, the United Nations Verification and Inspection Mechanism cleared 41 ships bound for the Red Sea ports, carrying 825,000 metric tons of commercial food, fuel and other goods. Turning to the Safer oil tanker, she said that in a major milestone for the United Nations-coordinated operation to address the threat posed by the ship, a replacement vessel ‑ the Nautica ‑ set sail for Yemen on 6 April. It is expected to arrive in the Red Sea area in the first half of May. Efforts are ongoing to mobilize the additional funding needed for the project, she said, pointing to a donor conference to be held on 4 May, hosted by the Netherlands and the United Kingdom.
Also highlighting a $20 million loan, made available from the Central Emergency Response Fund to enable the start of the on-water operation in May, she said: “These positive developments come not a moment too soon for the people of Yemen.” Across the country, more than 21 million people need emergency assistance, she said, noting that while there has not been a major resurgence in fighting, escalating clashes in Ma’rib and Shabwah have displaced nearly 10,000 people since early March, while preventable diseases like measles and polio are spreading at a dangerous pace. Expressing concern that these outbreaks could deteriorate fast, especially in Houthi-controlled areas, she said that aid agencies are doing everything they can to respond. Urging donors to quickly disburse commitments made at the pledging event in February and to urgently scale up support, she also pointed to the challenging operating environment in Yemen. United Nations agencies are opening an office in Taiz and conducting missions to remote locations across the country, against the backdrop of large and chronic access impediments, she said.
Highlighting the large number of access constraints, mostly in Houthi‑controlled areas, she said they cause undue delays to critical missions and impede the timely delivery of aid. One area where little progress has been made is on the issue of movement restrictions for Yemeni female aid workers in Houthi-controlled areas, she said, stressing that “all of our staff, including female staff, are essential to humanitarian operations”. Reiterating the call to the parties to the conflict, especially the Houthi de facto authorities, to uphold their obligations under international humanitarian law, she noted that, in Sana’a, two United Nations staff remain detained since November 2021, and that five staff members abducted in Abyan in 2022 year remain missing. Further, much more must be done to stabilize Yemen’s economy, such as strengthening people’s incomes, scaling up demining efforts and restoring basic services.
Statements
BARBARA WOODWARD (United Kingdom), welcoming ongoing efforts to advance peace in Yemen, underscored that inclusive Yemeni-Yemeni political talks, under the auspices of the United Nations, are the vital next step. She called on the parties to refrain from provocation, noting that the recent clashes in Marib and Shabwa had significant humanitarian consequences, displacing 10,000 people. The need for an impactful humanitarian response remains critical, especially while a sizeable funding gap remains, she emphasized, calling for greater ambition in addressing the recommendations in the Inter-Agency Humanitarian Evaluation. Authorities across Yemen must allow unfettered humanitarian access, she urged, joining Deputy Director Mudawi’s call for the immediate end to impediments to independent assessment and monitoring, fair selection of service providers, and free movement of national female aid workers in the north. The United Nations, donors and local authorities need to step up and work together to effectively address the needs of people in Yemen. Turning to the threat posed by the Safer, she warned that the costs of inaction would devastate marine life and coastal livelihoods, disrupt life-saving humanitarian assistance for 17 million people and cost the global economy billions in lost trade every day. On 4 May, the United Kingdom is co-hosting a pledging conference with the Netherlands and in partnership with the United Nations to fill the shortfall and provide a long-term solution for Yemen.
HAROLD ADLAI AGYEMAN (Ghana), speaking also on behalf of Gabon and Mozambique, welcomed the renewed optimism surrounding the ongoing negotiations to find a solution to the Yemeni conflict. However, sustainable solutions to the conflict lie firmly in the hands of the Yemeni people, he asserted, calling for an inclusive Yemeni-owned political process that will bring a lasting solution to the conflict. In this context, he commended the release of nearly 900 conflict-related detainees in April as part of the implementation of an agreement reached by the parties in Geneva in March. A lasting peace in Yemen requires the pursuit of an inclusive political process that considers all segments of the population, including women. Notwithstanding the recent positive developments, he voiced concern over the incessant Houthi provocations, including military escalations in Marib and Shabwa and the targeting of senior Government of Yemen officials in Taiz.
Stressing the need to preserve the fragile security situation in the country, he called for increased international support to bridge the funding gap needed to effectively address the humanitarian crisis facing the Yemeni people. Imposition of administrative and bureaucratic bottlenecks on the operations of humanitarian agencies affect delivery of critical humanitarian assistance to segments of the Yemeni society, he observed, expressing particular concern about the persistence of Maharam obligation imposed on female humanitarian staff, which requires them to be accompanied by male guardians in areas controlled by the Houthis. With the prospects of peace on the horizon, Yemen’s weak economy must be supported to create viable opportunities to improve the socioeconomic condition and reduce the country’s dependence on external humanitarian support. The risk posed by landmines and explosive remnants of war in Yemen must be tackled head-on to bring down the number of casualties associated with the menace. Furthermore, the general welfare of children, who have been overwhelmingly affected by the war, must be given special attention, he underlined, noting that many children still live in deplorable conditions with no access to good sanitation and water, which puts them at increased risk of malnutrition, cholera and death from common infectious diseases.
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