Security Council Briefed on Situation in Yemen
Admin GHRTV
22-01-2023
Amanda Benoy
Middle East Researcher
Global Human Rights Defence
On 16 January 2023, the 9244th meeting of the Security Council convened to evaluate the situation in Yemen. The Security Council was briefed by Hans Grundberg, the Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for Yemen, and Martin Griffiths, the United Nations Emergency Relief Coordinator.
Mr. Grundberg reported that despite the lapse of the ceasefire on 2 October 2022 with some limited military activity along frontlines, the security situation on the ground in Yemen remains stable. He further conveyed that mediation efforts are committed to Yemeni ownership and intra-Yemeni consultations to ensure that the peace process is sustainable and inclusive.
Mr. Griffiths stated that an estimated 21.6 million Yemenis will need humanitarian assistance in 2023. However, humanitarian relief is being impeded by funding gaps and an increasingly challenging operating environment, characterized by restrictions on humanitarian movement and increasing incidents of violence directed against humanitarian workers by both Houthi and Yemeni government authorities.
Statements by all fifteen members of the Security Council affirmed support for re-establishing the truce agreement, in addition to facilitating and safeguarding humanitarian relief operations. Representatives of both Yemen and Saudi Arabia were invited to participate in the meeting. The Yemen delegate, Abdullah Ali Fadhel Al-Saadi, asserted that “Statements [condemning Houthi terrorism] are no longer enough”. He called on the Security Council to implement a new approach to advance the peace process in Yemen.
The open briefing was followed by closed consultations on Yemen.
Sources and further reading
Abdullah Ali Fadhel Al-Saadi, ‘The Situation in the Middle East’ (Statement at the 9244th meeting of the Security Council, 16 January 2023) <https://media.un.org/en/asset/k1x/k1xldgr9be> accessed 16 January 2023.
Hans Grundberg, Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for Yemen, ‘The Situation in the Middle East’ (Brief at the 9244th meeting of the Security Council, 16 January 2023) <https://media.un.org/en/asset/k1x/k1xldgr9be> accessed 16 January 2023.
Martin Griffiths, United Nations Emergency Relief Coordinator, ‘The Situation in the Middle East’ (Brief at the 9244th meeting of the Security Council, 16 January 2023) <https://media.un.org/en/asset/k1x/k1xldgr9be> accessed 16 January 2023.
