Note: A complete summary of today’s Security Council meeting on Yemen will be made available after its conclusion.
Briefings
HANS GRUNDBERG, Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for Yemen, reiterated his condemnation of the murder of World Food Programme (WFP) staff member Moayad Hameidi in Taïz Governorate on 21 July. “Any loss of life in humanitarian service is an unacceptable tragedy for the United Nations and for the people who benefit from the humanitarian community’s life-saving assistance,” he stressed. However, he expressed great relief at the release of five UN colleagues kidnapped in Abyan Governorate in February 2022, and voiced solidarity with other staff still held without due process in Yemen. Turning to mediation efforts, he cited recent meetings with the senior Yemeni officials, as well as senior Saudi Arabian officials, Ansar Allah Houthi representatives and senior Omani officials. Despite the expiration of the truce in October 2022, hostilities on the front lines have not returned to pre-truce levels, but intermittent fighting has continued; he therefore called on all parties to refrain from escalatory rhetoric.
Turning to the increasingly dire economic situation, he noted the Government is still being prevented from exporting petroleum products, its major source of revenue, and intra-Yemeni trade in goods and services remains curtailed due to restrictions and the imposition of exorbitant fees and taxes. Power stations are shutting down due to a lack of fuel, and electricity cuts in Aden are reaching 18 hours per day amid sweltering weather. Amid these terrible conditions, Saudi Arabia’s pledge of $1.2 billion is a welcome step, but there will be no lasting improvement until the parties agree on sustainable solutions to Yemen’s economic and fiscal challenges. Flights to and from Sana’a International Airport are required to relieve pressure on Yemeni civilians seeking to travel for medical care, educational and business opportunities, or to reunite with loved ones. He further highlighted the dire need for road openings in Taïz and other governorates to facilitate freedom of movement.
He recalled that his office is working to convene the parties to address some of their immediate priorities to move towards an inclusive and sustainable political settlement. With trust levels remaining low, he noted his continued efforts to pursue a more comprehensive approach – further working to explore options with the parties, including regular public sector salary payments nationwide improved service provision, affordable basic commodities, a functional banking system and facilitating commercial activity. On salary payments, instead of competition, the parties should cooperate to broaden and expand economic opportunities for the welfare of all Yemenis. His office continues to engage all sides on the technical elements required for a sustainable nationwide ceasefire, including meetings in Sana’a and Aden with military officials and local security actors, as well as with Ansar Allah’s representatives to the Military Coordination Committee. He stressed the need for resumption of an inclusive, Yemeni-owned political process under UN auspices.
On the occasion of International Youth Day on 12 August, he recalled that young people make up the majority of Yemen’s population. After years of war, many Yemeni women and men have lost their entire adolescence to the conflict; yet, despite the challenges, they continue to lay the foundation for peace with their determination, resourcefulness and strong belief in a better tomorrow for their country. Stressing the importance of the continued unity and steadfast support of the Security Council for his mediation efforts, he pointed to the removal of the oil from the FSO Safer to a new vessel – thereby preventing an environmental and humanitarian catastrophe. He congratulated UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator David Gressly and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and their partners “for reaching this great milestone”, as well as commending the Government of Yemen and Ansar Allah in facilitating the operation.
EDEM WOSORNU, Director of Operations and Advocacy, Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, touted the completion of the ship-to-ship transfer of oil from the FSO Safer tanker to the replacement vessel as “the culmination of years of tireless advocacy, collaboration and innovative problem-solving”. It is a significant milestone, she said, adding, however, that urgent support is needed from the international community to close the $22 million funding gap for the second phase of the operation. Over the course of 2023, the humanitarian community has pushed to increase its presence in previously underserved areas. A UN assessment mission was dispatched to Raymah Governorate with a view to increasing its operational capacity in the area. However, misinformation and disinformation against humanitarians are making work more dangerous and difficult than it already is. Aid workers continue to experience attempted interference, with UN national female staff facing extensive movement restrictions. In this regard, the UN engages with both the de facto authorities and the Government of Yemen to chart a path forward to resolve these issues, she said, urging the parties to facilitate the rapid and unimpeded passage of humanitarian relief.
In 2023, humanitarians aim to provide support to more than 17 million people in need across the country. However, Yemen’s humanitarian response plan has received $1.34 billion, only 31 per cent of a required $4.34 billion. WFP recently announced the suspension of its malnutrition prevention activities across Yemen, starting from August, and humanitarian partners reported that only 1 in 5 children targeted for severe acute malnutrition support in Al Jawf Governorate were getting needed assistance. “The cost of inaction for these children, and for many other people across the country, is steep,” she said, urging the international community not to lose sight of the progress made in improving humanitarian outcomes across Yemen and how easily this could be reversed.
It is necessary to address Yemen’s failing economy to decrease humanitarian needs in the long run, she said, noting that public services remain fractured and unreliable. Economic hostilities continue to have devastating consequences for millions of people across Yemen already struggling to make ends meet. While progress towards a political resolution is vital, it will not solve the humanitarian crisis. “Only when such progress is pursued together with improved economic conditions and the re-establishment of essential services will we see humanitarian needs begin to decrease,” she said, warning that, according to donor projections, there will be much less humanitarian funding available in 2024. “Collective action is needed to address these drivers now,” she stressed.
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