Source: United Nations (Video News)
Briefing the Security Council today (15 Oct) in New York City, the Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for Yemen, Hans Grundberg, called on Ansar Allah “to immediately and unconditionally release all those arbitrarily detained, including 17 United Nations personnel.”
SE Grundberg said, “in Yemen, Ansar Allah continues to hold UN personnel, civil society workers, and staff of diplomatic missions in arbitrary detention. With all this said, I echo the urgent call of the Secretary-General: an immediate ceasefire and regional de-escalation is needed to halt this widening conflict.”
He also said that four of those peacekeepers detained are women and one of them is from Grundberg’s team. The Special Envoy said, “I am counting on the support of this Council in sending this clear message.”
Hans Grundberg also said, “we must acknowledge the immense burden Yemeni women continue to carry in this conflict and recognize their bravery. Yemeni women have been at the forefront in driving peacebuilding efforts for years, and, now more than ever, it is crucial to amplify their voices. I call on all parties to ensure that women are empowered to shape the decisions that will pave the way for lasting peace in Yemen. To support this, my Office, in partnership with UN WOMEN have to date held specific consultations with over 400 Yemeni women and men to advance a vision for an inclusive peace process in Yemen.”
UN humanitarian affairs acting chief Joyce Msuya echoed the Special Envoy’s message saying, “the potential laying of ‘charges’ against our colleagues is unacceptable.”
On the humanitarian front, Msuya said, “2024 now marks the deadliest year for migrants crossing the sea between the Horn of Africa and Yemen.”
In addition to the food crisis, Yemen is battling a devastating cholera otbreak. Msuya said, “hunger continues to rise. In August, the number of people who do not have enough food to eat soared to unprecedented levels. And severe levels of food deprivation have doubled in areas controlled by the Houthi de facto authorities since last year. Cholera also continues to spread. Since March this year, more than 203,000 suspected cases have been reported and more than 720 people have lost their lives. Women and girls account for 53 per cent of cases.”
Yemen’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Abdullah Ali Fadhel Al-Saadi, said Houthi militias “have been committing the worst human rights violations. They’ve been destroying the lives of children by recruiting them and pushing them to the battlefield. By planting millions of mines, they’ve been pursuing the policy of systematic impoverishment and starvation to humiliate and subjugate Yemenis in areas under their control.”
He also reiterated a call from the Yemeni government for “relocating the headquarters of UN agencies and headquarters of international organizations to the temporary capital in Aiden to ensure environment that allows the agencies to work affectively and serve those in need.”