Grundberg: Houthi behavior represents a serious attack on the UN's ability to perform its duties in Yemen (text of the briefing)

The UN Special Envoy for Yemen, Hans Grundberg, called on Thursday on the Houthi group in Yemen to immediately and unconditionally release all detained UN, NGO, civil society, diplomatic mission and private sector personnel, and to refrain from further arbitrary arrests.

During a session held by the Security Council, Grundberg urged the Houthi group to act responsibly and with compassion towards citizens, saying: “Let them return to their jobs in serving the Yemenis, providing humanitarian assistance, development assistance, peacebuilding, human rights, mediation, and protecting cultural heritage.”

He spoke about the systematic campaign of detention of Yemeni staff of the United Nations, civil society, national and international NGOs, diplomatic missions and private sector entities, where dozens of men and women, including 13 UN staff, remain detained in unknown locations.

He pointed to the group’s closure and storming of the UN human rights office in Sana’a on August 3. “This is an ominous sign of the broader direction the Houthi group is taking and represents a serious attack on the UN’s ability to fulfil its mandate. Protecting human rights is fundamentally about protecting Yemen’s future and the rights and freedoms of Yemenis,” he said.

The Special Envoy for Yemen addressed the regional escalation, saying that "the Middle East is currently holding its breath," expressing his hope that the escalation of the past months will be reversed. He pointed out that the Houthi group continues to attack ships in the Red Sea despite serious efforts to protect Yemen from this regional escalation.

He reiterated the call to the Yemeni parties, and the Houthis in particular, to prioritize the Yemenis, adding, "Your responsibility is, first and foremost, to Yemen. We need to shift the focus back to Yemen and find solutions to Yemen's problems."

He pointed to the internal situation in Yemen, noting that although levels of violence along the front lines remain relatively contained compared to the period before the 2022 truce, "we continue to see military preparations and reinforcements accompanied by ongoing threats of a return to war."

Despite the "bleak picture," the parties, with the support of Saudi Arabia, have managed to halt a dangerous cycle of escalation that was negatively impacting Yemen's banking and transport sectors and threatening to ignite renewed military conflict, Grundberg said.

He reiterated the importance of working towards a unified currency, a unified central bank, and ensuring that the banking sector is free from political interference, stressing that his office remains determined to keep all channels open and continue to engage at various levels and on issues related to the economy, a nationwide ceasefire and other security arrangements, the political process, and the release of conflict-related detainees.

“Your consistent and unified message on the importance of the political process and the ceasefire, as well as your continued call for the release of UN staff, is of paramount importance in these turbulent times,” the UN official told Council members at the end of his briefing.

Text of the briefing of the UN Special Envoy Hans Grundberg to the UN Security Council:

Thank you, Mr. President.

Mr. President, in four days, on 19 August, we will mark World Humanitarian Day, a day dedicated to honoring the tireless efforts of those who serve those in need around the world, including in Yemen. Yet in Yemen, we face a campaign of repression targeting humanitarian and civic space by Ansar Allah. It has been nearly 80 days since Ansar Allah began their intensified campaign of detaining Yemeni staff of the United Nations, civil society, local and international NGOs, diplomatic missions, and private sector institutions. Dozens of men and women, including 13 UN staff, including one of my own, remain detained in unknown locations.

These detentions come in addition to the detention by Ansar Allah of staff from the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), who have been detained since 2021 and 2023, respectively. In addition, on 29 July, Ansar Allah closed the OHCHR office in Sana’a and ordered all international staff to leave. Ansar Allah forces then stormed the office on 3 August, in a blatant violation of the UN’s privileges and immunity. This action is indicative of a broader trend by Ansar Allah and represents a serious assault on the UN’s ability to carry out its mandate. Protecting human rights is, at its core, protecting Yemen’s future and the rights and freedoms of Yemenis.

Therefore, I call on Ansar Allah to act responsibly and compassionately towards the citizens of their country, and to immediately and unconditionally release all staff of the United Nations, NGOs, civil society, diplomatic missions, and the private sector, as well as members of religious minorities, and refrain from further arbitrary detentions in the future. Let them reunite with their families, and let them return to their jobs to serve the Yemeni people through providing humanitarian and development assistance, building peace, protecting human rights, mediation, and protecting cultural heritage.

Mr. President, the Middle East is currently holding its breath, and I sincerely hope that the escalation we have witnessed in recent months will be reversed. What started in Israel and Gaza in October last year has dragged in several other countries, including Yemen. Despite serious efforts to disassociate Yemen from this regional escalation, Ansar Allah continues to attack ships in the Red Sea and the United States and the United Kingdom continue to strike military targets in areas controlled by Ansar Allah. This situation, which has been going on for more than eight months now, cannot continue.

Mr. President, this regional escalation coincides with real and pressing challenges within Yemen that need to be addressed. Addressing the decade-long conflict in Yemen remains a focus of my efforts. This conflict has claimed hundreds of thousands of lives, weakened Yemen’s social fabric, and undermined the provision of public services, making Yemen increasingly vulnerable to natural disasters, environmental hazards, and disease. This has been evident in the recent floods in Hodeidah, Marib, and Taiz, as well as the cholera outbreak.

Therefore, I call again on the Yemeni parties, and Ansar Allah in particular, to put the interests of the Yemenis at the forefront of their priorities. I tell them that their first and last responsibility is related to Yemen, and we must return the focus to Yemen and find solutions to Yemen’s problems.

Mr. President, over the past months, I have consistently expressed my deep concern about the direction of events in Yemen. Unfortunately, the downward trajectory of continued military activity and escalatory rhetoric continues. Although levels of violence along the front lines remain relatively contained compared to their levels before the 2022 truce, we continue to see military preparations and reinforcements accompanied by ongoing threats of a return to war, with more reports of clashes emerging in Al Dhale’e, Hodeidah, Lahj, Marib, Sa’ada and Taiz. Once again, these developments are a stark reminder of the fragility of the situation along Yemen’s front lines.

Despite this bleak picture, Mr. President, last month the parties, with the support of Saudi Arabia, managed to contain a dangerous cycle of escalation that was negatively impacting Yemen’s banking and transportation sectors and threatening to ignite a new military conflict. Since the announcement of the de-escalation understanding, which included the resumption of Yemenia flights and ensuring continued access to international banking services for major Yemeni banks, we have seen some initial progress toward implementing that understanding. But now the onus is on the parties to implement this agreement, and that requires not only acting in good faith and abiding by the promises made, but also turning these understandings into concrete actions that improve the lives and livelihoods of all Yemenis. I therefore reiterate the importance of working toward a unified currency, establishing a unified central bank and ensuring the independence of the banking sector from political interference. My office has prepared options and presented a clear proposal and path to achieve these goals, all based on input from the parties themselves, and we remain ready to support the parties to reach mutually acceptable solutions through dialogue, for the benefit of all Yemenis.

Mr. President, in December of last year, the parties agreed to a set of commitments, and these commitments remain achievable today despite all the complexities facing the mediation space today more than ever before, and I remain committed to keeping all channels of communication open and to continuing our engagement at various levels and on various issues: on the economy, on a comprehensive ceasefire in the country and other security measures, on a political process and on the release of detainees and prisoners in connection with the conflict.

In line with these efforts, last month my Office, in partnership with UN Women, brought together 70 representatives from across Yemeni society for the fourth consultative meeting in Mukalla, Hadramaut, to continue working on developing a vision for a comprehensive peace process that includes women’s voices. My team also visited Riyadh and Aden to continue working towards a comprehensive ceasefire across Yemen and other security arrangements, including exploring ways to support de-escalation efforts in Yemen. In addition, since the meeting of prisoners and detainees in the conflict in July, we have continued our engagement with the parties to build on the progress made in Oman.

Mr. President, we are doing all of this to maintain focus on the longer-term priorities of reaching a just and sustainable solution that serves the interests of all Yemenis. I remain determined to fulfill the mandate this Council has given me, which is to support the resumption of a comprehensive Yemeni-led political transition, and I continue to count on the Council’s full support for these efforts. The consistency and unity of your message on the importance of the political process and the ceasefire, and your continued support for the release of UN staff, are of paramount importance in these difficult times. Thank you.