UN envoy repeats call for prioritization of efforts to end war in Yemen

LONDON: The UN’s special envoy for Yemen, Hans Grundberg, on Thursday repeated his call for all involved in the war in Yemen to put the country first and prioritize efforts to resolve the conflict.

Addressing a meeting of the UN Security Council on the situation in the Middle East, he said the war in Gaza was having “destabilizing effects across the broader region,” including a negative effect on Yemen.

“Ansar Allah (the more formal name for the Houthis) has continued attacks on vessels in the Red Sea, threatening regional stability and international maritime security,” he told council members.

“In response, the United States and the United Kingdom have continued to strike military targets inside of Yemen.

“I reiterate my concern over this escalatory trajectory and repeat my call for the parties to put Yemen first and to prioritize a settlement of the conflict.”

The Houthis have attacked more than 80 merchant ships with missiles and drones since the war in Gaza began in October last year. They have seized one vessel and sunk two during their campaign, which has claimed the lives of four sailors. Many more missiles and drones were intercepted by the US-led coalition in the Red Sea or failed to reach their targets, which have also included Western military vessels.

The militia continues to insist it is targeting ships with links to Israel, the US or the UK, in an attempt to force an end to Israeli military operations in Gaza. However, many of the targeted ships had little or no connection to Israel or the conflict, including some that were bound for Iran.

Grundberg called for an “immediate ceasefire, the immediate and unconditional release of all remaining hostages, and a massive scale-up of humanitarian aid to Gaza.”

He said the Houthi attack on the Greek-flagged oil tanker Sounion on Aug. 21 was a “development of particular concern” and “raises the imminent threat of a catastrophic oil spill and environmental disaster of unprecedented scale.”

Following the attack, fires burned for weeks on the vessel, which is carrying about 1 million barrels of crude oil. Salvage efforts are continuing but proving difficult.

“An oil spill on this scale would have dire consequences for both Yemen and the broader region … I strongly urge Ansar Allah to end their dangerous targeting of civilian vessels in the Red Sea and beyond,” Grundberg said.

He also demanded that the Houthis release all of the Yemenis they have detained who were engaged in critical efforts related to humanitarian assistance, development efforts, human rights, peace building, and education.

“This includes United Nations personnel, members of civil society, staff of diplomatic missions, private-sector employees, and individuals from minority religious communities,” Grundberg said.

“The continued detention of these individuals is a profound injustice to those who have dedicated their lives to the betterment of Yemen. These detentions are shrinking civic space and negatively impacting humanitarian efforts critical to Yemenis.”

Joyce Msuya, the acting under-secretary-general for humanitarian affairs and acting emergency relief coordinator at the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, echoed this demand.

“I want to start by expressing our deep concern about the continued arbitrary detention of United Nations personnel, non-governmental organization staff and civil society representatives, among others, by the Houthi de facto authorities.

“These colleagues have now been detained for more than three months. Four additional colleagues remain in detention since 2021 and 2023. I reiterate, in the strongest terms, the secretary-general’s demand for their immediate and unconditional release.

“Additionally, we strongly reject false allegations by the Houthi de facto authorities against humanitarians, including recent claims of interference in Yemen’s education system. These allegations threaten the safety of staff, further hinder the ability of the UN and its partners to serve the Yemeni people, and must cease immediately.”

She told council members the steady deterioration of the humanitarian situation in Yemen continues.

“62 per cent of surveyed households report they do not have enough food to eat,” Msuya said. “This is historically high. For the first time on record, three districts — two in Hodeidah and one in Taiz — are facing extremely critical levels of malnutrition: IPC Phase 5. One more district is projected to reach this level by October.”

IPC is the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification, and level 5 denotes famine in an area and catastrophe for households there because they do not have enough food to meet basic needs.

“By the end of 2024, more than 600,000 children in Government of Yemen-controlled areas are estimated to be acutely malnourished, and around 118,000 are projected to suffer from severe acute malnutrition, a 34 per cent increase since 2023,” Msuya added.

Slovenia’s representative to the council, Samuel Zbogar, who is the president of the council this month, welcomed the World Food Programme’s ongoing emergency distribution of aid in Yemen.

“We are also following with concern the devastating impact of recent flooding, which has affected hundreds of thousands of Yemenis, aggravated the displacement crisis and exacerbated the outbreak of diseases,” he added.