Tensions arising from this and previous regional conflicts have long had implications for maritime security, and the Council adopted resolution 2722 (2024) two years ago in the wake of the war between Israel and Hamas demanding that the Houthis cease attacks on merchant and commercial vessels in the Red Sea.
Early last week, China and Russia vetoed a resolution that sought to deter attempts to interfere with international shipping through the Strait of Hormuz or threaten maritime security in the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait, the latter of which lies between Yemen and the Horn of Africa.
Higher food and fuel costs amplify fragility
“After a decade of conflictYemen has little room to absorb more shocks”said Hans Grundberg, the Secretary-General’s special envoy for that country, recalling his recent trip to Aden, the temporary capital of Yemen.
Yemenis have long faced inadequate public services, delayed wages and rising prices, he noted.
Now, they must face even higher fuel and food costs caused by conflict in the region.
These new pressures add to the old ones, he added: the obstruction of government exports, the division of the central bank and the “broad militarization of economic life that, for too long, it made ordinary Yemenis pay the price for decisions made above their heads.”.
And, despite the extensive de-escalation that has been maintained since the 2022 truce, he emphasized that “this relative calm cannot be taken for granted.” However, he stressed that the future of Yemenis must not be held hostage to this instability and that an inclusive political process must be carried out.
Humanitarian needs skyrocket
Edem Wosornu, Director of the Crisis Response Division of OCHA’s Aid Coordination Office, echoed Mr. Grundberg’s concerns for the 22 million and growing number of Yemenis in need of humanitarian assistance.
“This crisis is hitting the most vulnerable first and hardest.“he stressed, reporting that more than 18 million people face severe hunger and that two out of three families are forced to skip meals daily. “Women and children are the first and most affected,” he added.
In this regard, it reported that more than two million children under five years of age suffer from acute malnutrition and more than one million pregnant and lactating women face life-threatening complications due to malnutrition.
Further, More than 19 million people lack access to healthcare and vaccine-preventable diseases are spreading rapidly..
Meanwhile, aid operations have slowed as 73 UN staff remain arbitrarily detained by the Houthis, assets have been seized, access has been severely restricted and supply chains across the region have been disrupted.
“The gap between the resources we have and the growing humanitarian needs is widening,” he emphasized.
A decade of conflict has left people in Yemen “hanging by a thread,” Ms. Wosornu warned, “and that thread is now fraying.”