Statemnet by Permanent Representative Vassily Nebenzia at a UNSC Briefing on Yemen
Madam President,
We congratulate Denmark on assuming the presidency of the Security Council and we wish you every success. We would like to thank our Chinese friends for their excellent presidency in the month of February.
We also thank Special Envoy Hans Grundberg and UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Tom Fletcher for their briefings. We have listened very closely to Ms. Ali.
The situation in Yemen remains challenging. The recent increase in armed clashes along the line of contact may upset the balance of forces and eventually spiral out into an uncontrolled escalation which is fraught with a full-scale resumption of hostilities. We do not rule out that such a trend could result, inter alia, from the accumulated fatigue of the warring parties caused by the stalled Yemeni settlement process. In addition, there is further degradation in the socio-economic sphere in the country, which is compounded by power cuts, inflation and rising prices for basic necessities. The humanitarian situation is rapidly deteriorating and food security is under greater threat. And as usual, this turmoil hits hardest the most vulnerable strata of society – women and children. Despite the efforts undertaken by the official Yemeni authorities, they have not been able so far to significantly improve the situation.
The waters near Yemen have been largely peaceful so far. The Ansar Allah movement, as was promised by its leadership, is currently refraining from striking commercial vessels passing through the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden. However, it would be a mistake to speak of a final stabilization there: the situation in the Middle East is utterly explosive, which gives little scope for optimism. Given the fact that the fragile ceasefire in the Gaza Strip has not yet moved to the second stage that provides for a permanent cessation of hostilities, there are serious risks regarding the situation in the Red Sea.
Mr. President,
In the current conditions, Yemen still has a chance to overcome its internal differences and embark on the path to sustainable peace. The international mediation, represented by the Secretary-General's Special Envoy, needs to make now every effort to promptly resume the negotiating process on the road map for a Yemeni settlement, finalizing the agreements contained therein and launching a full-fledged political process. Success in this area can only be achieved through dialogue and with due regard to the legitimate interests of all the major political forces in the country, including Ansar Allah. In the absence of visible prospects for overcoming the crisis, a backsliding into a civil war can become inevitable.
For our part, we reiterate our full support for the relevant efforts made by Special Envoy Grundberg. We will continue helping him as much as we can through our regular contacts with all Yemeni protagonists and key regional actors. We would also like to recall that there is a need to eventually update the legal basis for the settlement so that it realistically reflects the current situation on the ground.
Madam President,
Unfortunately, this approach of ours is not shared by one and all. Instead of pushing the Yemeni sides towards compromise, some countries are still guided by the logic of “maximum pressure”, which has long proved ineffective in Yemeni realities. We were disappointed to learn that the decision by the US Administration to designate Ansar Allah as a terrorist organization did come into effect two days ago. We warned our American colleagues that openly antagonizing one of the key parties to the Yemeni conflict would lead to no good. A similar move undertaken by Washigton in 2021 only exacerbated the confrontation and made the search for a peaceful settlement in Yemen even more difficult. It is also rather easy to predict how this move would affect the humanitarian assistance to the country: humanitarians are already voicing their concerns that it will narrow their possibilities for humanitarian action and create logistical and financial problems for humanitarian operations. In the interests of all Yemeni people, we once again call on the White House to reconsider this decision.
The difficulties for humanitarians in Yemen, alas, do not end there. The UN was compelled to halt its humanitarian operations in Saada governorate following the mass detentions of UN local staff by the Houthis at the end of January this year – and this forced suspension is still in effect. A great many UN and humanitarian workers detained earlier also remain in detention. We note the tireless efforts by the UN leadership to release them. Last month, the members of the Security Council agreed on a statement that conveyed a very strong message in support of those efforts. For our part, we are also doing work here, and we do hope that the situation will be resolved in the near future.
Madam President,
In conclusion, we would like to emphasize that ensuring a political settlement in Yemen could become an important contribution to deescalating the entire region. Against this background, we believe that there is a need for joint work to find mutually acceptable solutions aimed at reducing tension and settling crises by political and diplomatic means on the basis of international law. Russia's Collective Security Concept for the Persian Gulf remains relevant in this regard – it envisages incremental steps towards unblocking conflict situations, developing confidence-building and verification measures and, ultimately, shaping integral architecture of collective security and cooperation, which can subsequently be applied to all countries of the Middle East.
Thank you.
