Statement by Permanent Representative Vassily Nebenzia at UNSC briefing on Yemen
Mr.President,
We thank Special Envoy for Yemen H.Grundberg and OCHA Operations Director Edem Wosornu for the briefings on the political and humanitarian situation in the country.
The situation in and around Yemen is not conducive to peace talks. That’s because of the instability in the region, first of all the ongoing escalation in Gaza. Such a massive hotbed in Yemen’s proximity cannot but affect the processes that are underway in the country.
The increasing militarization of the Red Sea and Yemeni waters seriously undermines peace efforts. We consider unacceptable the attacks on peaceful vessels in the Red Sea. We call for the immediate cessation of the shelling of commercial vessels and any other actions that impede maritime navigation. We demand the release of the crew of the Galaxy Leader.
At the same time, we condemn the strikes by the US and British-led coalition on the territory of sovereign Yemen. This aggression, carried out in violation of the UN Charter, is senseless, as it is not capable of stopping attacks in the Red Sea. Moreover, as in other countries in the Middle East and North Africa, this ill-considered use of force by NATO countries leaves a bloody trail of numerous civilian casualties and destruction of civilian infrastructure. Such illegitimate military intervention cannot be justified either by UNSC Resolution 2722 or by reference to the right to self-defense under Article 51 of the UN Charter.
On May 31 alone, a missile strike on the Yemeni province of Hodeidah reportedly killed 16 people and wounded 35 more.
Such actions in no way contribute to normalizing the situation in the waters of the Red Sea but, on the contrary, they spiral up the escalation. We call on Western delegations to realize that comprehensive political and diplomatic efforts, rather than the aggressive strikes that the West is accustomed to, are necessary to rectify the situation in Yemen and the surrounding waters. First, it is necessary to achieve an early cessation of violence in the Gaza Strip.
Mr.President,
We support the efforts of Special Envoy Grundberg. We are convinced that we should not wait for the situation in the Red Sea to change. It is important to intensify work with the parties to the Yemeni conflict in order to achieve the swift practical implementation of the roadmap and ensure a full-fledged process of inter-Yemeni normalization. The situation on the ground, which has not seen major fighting for a long time, provides an opportunity to step up reconciliation efforts.
The deteriorating humanitarian situation in Yemen also requires immediate action. Nearly half of the country's population is in need of humanitarian assistance. The Yemeni people must have unimpeded access to food, medicine and other essential goods throughout Yemen on a non-discriminatory basis. Any restrictions on the delivery of humanitarian aid, as well as obstacles to the work of humanitarians, are unacceptable. Core humanitarian programs remain chronically underfunded. It will take combined efforts of all international stakeholders to remedy the situation.
Mr.President,
Russia, like other delegations, has taken with concern the reports of the recent detention in Yemen of 13 locally recruited UN staff members. But before throwing accusations at anyone, one needs to get a clear picture of all the relevant circumstances.
We have repeatedly heard from the representatives of certain states that we should allow time for “discreet diplomacy” when it comes to serious allegations against United Nations agencies. I would also recall that back in the day, some UNSC members (who are present here now) refused to condemn the beating and detention of Mr. Krasnoshchekov of the United Nations Mission in Kosovo. Unfortunately, the Council has never been able to send a clear message on the catastrophic situation around UNRWA in Gaza, where the number of deaths of locally recruited humanitarian workers has almost reached 200.
Of course, the situation around the detainees is serious. But it is fundamentally important to avoid double standards in dealing with such episodes. All humanitarian workers employed by the United Nations must be equally protected.
For our part, we intend to provide H. Grundberg with every possible assistance in clarifying the circumstances and getting access to the United Nations staff. All unlawfully detained personnel must be released.
Mr.President,
We welcome the activities of the United Nations Mission to support the Hodeidah Agreement (UNMHA), supporting the implementation of the Agreement on the City of Hodeidah and Ports of Hodeidah, Salif and Ras Issa as set out in the Stockholm Agreement. We continue to support de-escalation in Hodeidah and the maintenance of civilian activities in its ports. We encourage the parties to engage constructively with UNMHA. We are ready to continue to provide its head, Major General (rtd) Michael Beary, with the best possible assistance in his work. We support the upcoming renewal of the Mission's mandate in July.
Mr.President,
Russia continues to maintain close contacts with all Yemeni protagonists and parties involved, encouraging them to show restraint, adopt constructive approach and demonstrate readiness to compromise. We are convinced that there is no alternative to a political solution.
At the same time, we remain convinced that the Security Council should seriously consider the prospect of updating the international legal framework for a Yemeni settlement so that it reflects the realities on the ground.
Thank you.
