Statement by the Republic of Slovenia at the UNSC Briefing on the Situation in Yemen

I also thank Special Envoy Grundberg and Acting Emergency Relief Coordinator Msuya for their updates this morning. I welcome the Yemeni Ambassador to the meeting. I also welcome the recent renewal of the UNMHA mandate.

Following the drone attack in Tel Aviv claimed by the Houthis last Friday and subsequent Israeli strikes of targets in Yemen, we are concerned at the potential for the situation in Yemen to rapidly deteriorate. We call on all parties to exercise maximum restraint, and we reaffirm our support for the UN-led peace process.

President, it is almost two months since the arbitrary detention by the Houthis of 18 humanitarian workers from the UN and international NGO community, as well as many more from Yemeni NGOs and Yemeni civil society. As we have just heard from Special Envoy Grundberg and Coordinator Msuya, these individuals remain in detention today, with no access and limited information about their wellbeing. This is a deeply troubling development. The fact that we have not had any positive movement on this since our last Council discussion is alarming.

To the Houthis we say directly – you cannot commit to protecting the wellbeing and dignity of the Palestinians suffering in Gaza, while simultaneously denying the same rights to your own people in Yemen. You cannot claim to be a responsible player, while simultaneously disregarding the basic principles of humanitarian action for a population that is reliant on humanitarian aid.

We call for the immediate, safe and unconditional release of all those who have been arbitrarily detained by the Houthis, and we call on all actors in Yemen to comply fully with their obligations under international humanitarian and human rights law.

President,

The broader politicization and weaponization of the humanitarian and economic space in Yemen is a matter of great concern for Slovenia. We have heard on numerous occasions in this chamber that millions of Yemenis rely on humanitarian assistance daily, and we know that the country is heavily dependent on imports and on remittances.

For Yemenis, worsening food insecurity is sparking other crises – crises of protection and education for example, which especially affect women and children.

Therefore, we call for an end to disinformation and misinformation campaigns, for an end to unilateral economic and banking measures, and for an end to Red Sea attacks which are driving up costs and causing delays for humanitarian actors and importers. We urge dialogue between the parties, with the Envoy, and we therefore welcome today’s announcement that an agreement was reached last night between the Government of Yemen and the Houthis to de-escalate in relation to the banking sector and Yemenia Airways.  

And President, in spite of the very challenging landscape, we have seen some other small chinks of light in recent weeks, with encouraging progress in Oman on the release of conflict-related detainees, and the opening of additional roads for the first time in many years.

These developments are incremental and hard-won. We acknowledge the efforts made by a variety of actors, from the Special Envoy’s Office, to the International Committee of the Red Cross, countries in the region, and crucially: by local mediators, in taking steps forward on a range of sensitive issues. We hope to see further progress on these issues in the near future.

President,

In conclusion, Slovenia hopes that the parties to the conflict in Yemen will abandon what the Special Envoy has described as a “zero sum mindset“. At a volatile time in the region, we call for all actors to avoid inflammatory and threatening statements and actions, and to engage constructively with the UN efforts towards finalizing a Roadmap and reaching an inclusive intra-Yemeni process.

A return to war will not serve the Yemeni people or the people of the region. Thank you.

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