Despite a temporary lull in fighting, UN officials warned the Security Council that Yemen remains gripped by escalating regional tensions, deepening economic collapse and a worsening humanitarian crisis that continues to devastate civilians - particularly women and children - and derail prospects for lasting peace.
"While the frontlines may currently appear relatively stable, what Yemen has now is not peace," said Hans Grundberg, Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for Yemen, briefing the 15-member organ.
Welcoming the 6 May announcement of a cessation of hostilities between the United States and Ansar Allah, he said that meaningful de-escalation in the Red Sea and in the broader region is urgently needed to put Yemen back on the path to peace. Recent events - including Ansar Allah's 4 May attack on Ben Gurion Airport and Israel's subsequent strikes on Hudaydah Port, Sana'a Airport and other sites - underscore how deeply Yemen remains entangled in escalating regional tensions.
Meanwhile, the country's currency continues to deteriorate and prolonged power outages - up to 15 hours per day in Aden and total blackouts for weeks in Lahj and Abyan - are crippling daily life in Government-held areas. In areas under Ansar Allah control, civil servants remain unpaid, liquidity is drying up and repression of civil society voices is deepening. Mr. Grundberg condemned the arbitrary and prolonged detention of UN staff by Ansar Allah, urging their immediate, unconditional release.
"Ansar Allah must change course," he urged, calling on all parties to "be courageous and choose dialogue". He also reaffirmed the UN's unwavering commitment to supporting a negotiated settlement to the conflict.
"Let's be clear: Yemen is not out of the woods," Tom Fletcher, Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator also told the Council today. Highlighting the plight of the country's children, half of whom - 2.3 million - are malnourished, he noted that malnutrition attacks immunity; therefore, pneumonia and diarrhea are the leading causes of child mortality in Yemen, while cholera and measles cases are rising due to low vaccination rates. "Children also have to contend with fields littered with landmines and schools emptied of teachers," he said.
"Yemen's 2025 humanitarian response plan is barely 9 per cent funded," he pointed out, noting that the shortfall will result in the closure of 400 health facilities, impacting nearly 7 million people. The UN is substantially reducing operational costs, he said, outlining a range of its humanitarian efforts, from the deployment of surgical teams to the provision of life-saving cash assistance.
The recent military strikes have also damaged civilian infrastructure, including health facilities and power stations, as well as the Sana'a airport and Hudaydah Port. "The people of Yemen need aid, but they also need peace," he said. The Council must act to ensure respect for international humanitarian law, provide scaled up flexible funding and back efforts towards lasting peace, he said.
Dina El Mamoun, Country Director of Center for Civilians in Conflict, recalled that 25 years ago through Council resolution 1325 (2000) on women, peace and security, the international community, with the leadership of this Council, promised to make women central to peace and security, based on a shared understanding of the importance of their protection, empowerment and meaningful participation.
"Today, that promise is being broken," she said, urging greater efforts to show the political will and mobilize resources women deserve. After 10 years of conflict, the humanitarian crisis in Yemen remains one of the most severe and its most punishing consequences are frequently borne by women and girls. "The protection of civilians - particularly women - is failing, and the structures meant to uphold international law are faltering," she pointed out.
She went on urge the Council to act on three fronts: First, demand that all parties to the conflict abide by their obligations under international law to protect civilians, including women and girls. She also called for flexible funding and political support for women human rights defenders and peacebuilders in Yemen. She further urged the Council to ensure the full, equal and meaningful participation of women at all stages of the political process. This means no less than 30 per cent representation in all peace negotiations and in post-conflict governance.
In the ensuing dialogue, Council members condemned the Houthis' destabilizing attacks on Red Sea shipping lanes, with France's delegate urging the Iran-backed Houthis to stop their destabilizing actions in Yemen and the Middle East. "This Council must be able to condemn them with one voice and unambiguously," he said. The delegate of the United Kingdom also stressed the need to restore freedom of navigation in the Red Sea. "Maritime security is essential to upholding stability in the region," he added.
"Even after the Houthis' commitment to halt attacks against commercial vessels in the Red Sea, the continued reluctance of the shipping industry to resume passage there is significantly hampering the global supply chain," the representative of the Republic of Korea pointed out.
Several speakers linked the simmering tensions in the Red Sea to the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, with Somalia's delegate, who also spoke for Algeria, Guyana and Sierra Leone, emphasizing that securing an immediate and permanent ceasefire in Gaza is critical towards a lasting peace in the region. He also expressed concern about Israel's air strikes and the wider ramifications of the Gaza conflict. China's delegate further stressed that securing an immediate ceasefire in Gaza must be the international community's top priority. He further welcomed the recent ceasefire agreement between the United States and the Houthis and expressed hope that "all parties will take this as an opportunity to cool down the situation".
The Russian Federation's delegate noted that in the last two months, the United States carried out strikes on Yemen almost every night, including on civilian infrastructure. Also noting that its former Government, headed by President Joseph R. Biden, waged war unsuccessfully with the Houthis, he said the futility of this military approach has finally been acknowledged, as demonstrated by the agreement it reached with the Houthis. "Better late than never," he said, while regretting that "Israel has taken up the relay bombing" of Yemen and stressing the importance of a long-term ceasefire in the Gaza Strip.
"Contrary to the characterizations and disinformation of some", the United States conducted precision operations against Houthi assets, that country's delegate said. The strikes killed hundreds of Houthi fighters and disabled the import of fuel that supported terrorist objectives. Iran has enabled Houthi attacks with military logistical and intelligence support. "This Council must not tolerate Iranian defiance of its resolutions," she added, also highlighting Israel's legitimate security concerns and supporting its right to self-defence. The UN Verification and Inspection Mechanism has the potential to be a critical tool in preventing arms from reaching the Houthis, she said, calling on Member States to provide financial support for this mechanism "by donating directly to [its] operations which need only $11 million per year".
Speakers also underscored Yemen's dire humanitarian crisis, with Panama's delegate emphasizing that more than 9.6 million people require urgent assistance, including pregnant women and women who have recently given birth. "In Yemen, women are facing a constant threat of sexual violence, early and forced marriage as well as the risk of becoming victims of human trafficking," he said.
The representative of Slovenia stressed that women's rights "should not be an afterthought". "Ensuring women's meaningful political participation is central to advancing a UN-led political process to find a lasting solution to the conflict in Yemen," echoed Denmark's delegate. "It is vital to empower women and combat the marginalization of such an important part of the Yemeni society," added Greece's delegate, Council President for May, speaking in his national capacity.
There is no military solution to the Yemen crisis, Pakistan's delegate said, noting that persistent political divisions, economic collapse and environmental degradation are exacting a heavy toll on civilians. A reinvigorated "political process is essential to laying the foundation for a comprehensive and durable solution", he added.
Yemen's delegate said the Yemeni Presidential Leadership Council and Yemen's national Government are keen to end the conflict and bring forth comprehensive peace. "We regret to say today that all this keenness - all the regional and international efforts and the efforts of the United Nations - were met with the intransigence and rejection of the terrorist Houthis militias - supported by the Iranian regime," he stressed. Those militias sought to thwart all efforts of peace because "they do not believe in peace and dialogue". They refuse to engage sincerely and in good faith on the political track, he said.
"Instead, they are deepening the suffering of the Yemenis - they bring more violence, escalation […] and threaten international maritime routes and vessels," he went on to tell the Council. "The Houthi militias have turned Yemenis into tools and have plunged the Yemeni citizen into a state of poverty and hunger through their terrorist acts," he added. They are impeding the delivery of humanitarian aid. The Government of Yemen holds the Houthi militia accountable for dragging the country into an endless war. He called on the Houthis to lay down their arms and abandon Iranian schemes to destabilize the region. Ending the threat of the Houthi militias on the waterways and shipping routes is contingent on providing support to Yemen's Government. "This would bring about regional security and strengthen Yemen's capability to fight terrorism and organized crime and would allow us to collectively secure regional waters and international maritime corridors," he added.
He called on the Council to take collective action to designate the Houthis as a foreign terrorist group, dry up their sources of financing and bring an end to Iran's meddling in Yemen. He also emphasized that the halt of oil and gas exports has led to the deterioration of the national currency and the Government's ability to provide citizens with necessary services. This has deepened the economic and humanitarian crisis further.
