The United Nations Security Council held an emergency session on Tuesday to discuss developments in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait and the Red Sea, amid calls to protect international shipping, reduce tensions and support a political process in Yemen.
اضافة اعلان
UN Assistant Secretary-General for Political Affairs Khaled Khiari said the situation in the Bab el-Mandeb and along Yemen’s western coast had become “increasingly volatile,” amid intensifying fighting on the western coast and Houthi advances toward the strait.
Khiari said at least 125,000 people had been displaced within Yemen since the beginning of the month, while the UN Human Rights Office had documented 40 civilian casualties, including eight deaths and 32 injuries. Around 2,300 people have also arrived in Djibouti’s Obock region since the escalation began.
He called on all parties to protect civilians, respect international humanitarian law and ensure safe and unhindered access for humanitarian assistance.
Protecting Maritime Navigation
Yemen’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Abdullah Al-Saadi, said the Houthi escalation was no longer solely a Yemeni issue, arguing that threats to the Bab el-Mandeb Strait affect international trade, energy routes and supply chains.
Al-Saadi reaffirmed Yemen’s support for Saudi Arabia and its right to defend its territory and citizens. He called on the Security Council to condemn attacks targeting civilians and vessels and to strengthen enforcement of resolutions aimed at preventing arms from reaching the Houthis.
Bahrain’s representative said his country had joined Britain, the United States, Greece, Denmark and Latvia in requesting the emergency session to address Houthi threats to maritime security in the Bab el-Mandeb and the Red Sea.
He stressed Bahrain’s solidarity with Saudi Arabia and the Yemeni government, accusing the Houthis of threatening regional and international peace and security.
Saudi Arabia’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Abdulaziz Al-Wasil, said protecting international maritime routes, including the Red Sea, Bab el-Mandeb and Gulf of Aden, was a shared international responsibility and not one that should fall solely on regional states.
Al-Wasil accused the Houthis of pursuing a policy of “militarizing chokepoints,” while reaffirming Saudi Arabia’s commitment to a political solution in Yemen and its support for the efforts of UN Special Envoy Hans Grundberg.
He added that Saudi Arabia retained the right to take necessary measures to protect its national security, territory and citizens in accordance with the UN Charter and international law.
Calls for a Political Settlement
During the session, Russia’s representative, Vasily Nebenzya, called on the Houthis to refrain from actions that threaten commercial vessels in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden and those passing through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait.
At the same time, he stressed that maritime security should not be separated from the conflict in Yemen and underlined the need for a political settlement.
China’s representative expressed concern over the decline in commercial shipping and the worsening situation around the Bab el-Mandeb, calling for the protection of civilians and vital infrastructure and urging dialogue and negotiations to address the root causes of the crisis.
Liberia’s representative warned that disruptions to maritime navigation could drive up food and fuel prices and increase shipping costs, stressing that freedom of navigation is “a legal principle, not a luxury.”
Source: Agence France-Presse (AFP)
