Statement by Representative of the Russian FederationDina Gilmutdinova at a UNSC Briefing on Yemen
Madam President,
We thank the UN Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for Yemen, Mr. Hans Grundberg, and the USG for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, Mr. Tom Fletcher, for their briefings.
It is with growing concern that we are following developments in Yemen, as the country is experiencing its most acute military and political crisis since the conclusion of the internal truce in April 2022. The current escalation began with the landing of civilian aircraft in Sana’a on 3 July and in Hodeidah on 13 July – incidents that, in and of themselves, resulted in neither casualties nor material damage. Those flights should certainly have been coordinated in advance with the official Yemeni authorities. Nevertheless, the exceptionally harsh response of the Arab Coalition in the form of airstrikes on the runway of Sana’a International Airport appears disproportionate, particularly given that the airport is of great civilian and humanitarian significance for the Yemeni people.
Following these events, Ansar Allah resorted to further military action, including missile strikes against the territory of Saudi Arabia. The Arab Coalition, in turn, responded with airstrikes on Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen, including Sana’a, Ad Dali’ and Saada. Against this backdrop, the military situation along the line of contact also deteriorated, with renewed clashes in the governorates of Marib, Taiz and Hadhramaut. We hope that the opposing sides will nevertheless demonstrate wisdom and refrain from scaling up their military activities, as continuation of the current trend could have far-reaching consequences for the entire region. We call on them to promptly return to the negotiating table and set about addressing their accumulated differences through diplomatic means.
After more than six months of relative calm, tensions have also resumed in the Red Sea, with Ansar Allah attempting to disrupt the navigation of commercial and military vessels, while justifying its actions as a “mirror response” to the longstanding blockade of Yemen’s northern provinces. Regrettably, these developments have claimed human lives. We share the position that freedom of navigation must be unconditionally safeguarded and strongly condemn any actions that endanger commercial shipping.
Madam President,
The developments around Yemen clearly demonstrate the dangers emanating from the protracted failure to resolve this conflict. We have witnessed how the prolonged stagnation of the Yemeni peace process has dragged the Houthis into the broader regional confrontation initiated by the United States and Israel against the Islamic Republic of Iran. At the same time, we remain convinced that, even under these circumstances, the Yemeni parties still have an opportunity to overcome their internal divisions.
International mediation, under the leadership of the Secretary-General’s Special Envoy, needs to make every effort to immediately resume negotiations on the Yemeni roadmap, formalize the understandings already reached, and launch a comprehensive political process. Success on this track can only be achieved through dialogue that takes into account the legitimate interests of all the country's principal political forces, including Ansar Allah. At the same time, it is crucial to steadily reduce the antagonism between the parties and curb their hawkish rhetoric. The policy of “maximum pressure” against any of the parties has long since proven ineffective in the Yemeni context.
For our part, we will continue to facilitate this process through our contacts with all Yemeni stakeholders and the key regional actors. We call on responsible international players to assist the Yemeni parties in the same spirit, rather than burdening the launch of the political process with additional conditions. We also recall the need to eventually update the legal and normative framework underpinning the Yemeni settlement.
Madam President,
We would also like to emphasize the importance of coordinated international efforts in addressing Yemen’s humanitarian crisis. However, humanitarian operations are shrinking even though the escalating conflict is driving humanitarian needs ever higher, as today's briefers informed us. Such critical sectors as food security and healthcare remain severely underfunded. We urge the international community and donor countries to prioritize these issues, without making distinctions based on geography.
We also call for the complete lifting of the maritime, air and land blockade of Yemen, as well as the removal of all restrictions on the delivery of food, medicines and other essential goods to the country. We reiterate our support for the efforts of UN leadership to secure the release of detained UN personnel and humanitarian workers.
Thank you.
