Statement by First Deputy Permanent Representative Dmitry Polyanskiy at UNSC briefing on Yemen
Mme.President,
We thank SESG Grundberg and OCHA Operations Director Wosornu for the briefings on the political and humanitarian situation in Yemen. We also take note of the briefing by Ms.Shakir.
Russia continues to persuade all actors who involved in Yemen to contribute to the establishment of a sustainable ceasefire and recovery of normal life in the country. We express our full support for SESG Grundberg's activities aimed at achieving these goals and the eventual launch of a full-scale inclusive national dialogue under the auspices of the United Nations. We once again draw attention to the need to update the international legal framework for a settlement in Yemen, which is clearly outdated and does not reflect the realities on the ground.
The deteriorating humanitarian situation in the country needs to be resolved urgently. Some 18 million Yemenis – almost half of the country's population – are in need of humanitarian assistance. There are alarming reports of an outbreak of cholera, a disease that can be easily cured with the right medicines. However, in Yemen they are very scarce. We emphasize that Yemenis, regardless of the geography of their residence, must have unimpeded access to food, medicine and other necessities.
We are also concerned about the situation in the waters close to Yemen, including the Red Sea. Russia has consistently advocated safe and free navigation in this area. We have consistently condemned attacks on peaceful vessels that pose a threat to crews and cargo, in particular the attack on the vessel "True Confidence", which resulted in the deaths of crew members. We demand the immediate release of the “Galaxy Leader” and her crew. In our contacts with representatives of “Ansar Allah”, we reiterate our call to end such actions and focus on achieving peace within Yemen.
However, we must be mindful that the root cause of this situation is Israel's continued massacre in the Gaza Strip in violation of UN Security Council resolution 2728. This horrific escalation, which has claimed the lives of more than 33,000 Palestinian civilians, has most serious implications across the Middle East, including in the Red Sea region, whose calm also depends on putting an end to violence in the Palestinian-Israeli conflict zone.
We also note the destructive role of the self-proclaimed "coalition" led by the United States and the United Kingdom, which continues to attack the territory if Yemen weekly. While doing so, Washington and London do not bother that their actions fail to have effect on the ground and are not able to undermine the military potential of the Houthis.
Once again, we emphasize that missile and bomb strikes by the US-led Western "coalition" against the territory of sovereign Yemen are categorically unacceptable, as well as attempts to justify the aggression by the Security Council resolution 2722 or references to the right to self-defense under Article 51 of the UN Charter. Such actions are detrimental to the intra-Yemeni settlement and undermine the efforts of international and regional mediators. In fact, it is largely because of this "vicious circle of escalation" that the Yemeni settlement had to be put on hold. Moreover, in the absence of a formal ceasefire between the parties, the situation may deteriorate. As SRSG Grundberg informed us today, clashes between the Yemeni parties along the front line have become more frequent. This dangerous trend could trigger a new round of tension within the country.
We note that recently, having obviously realized the futility of the forceful approach, the United States itself has begun to speak more frequently about the need for de-escalation and "goodwill gestures". This inspires a certain optimism. From the very beginning of the Yemeni conflict, Russia has consistently emphasized that it can be resolved only through political and diplomatic means on the basis of the principle of inclusiveness, which implies the participation of all Yemeni protagonists, including “Ansar Allah”.
Mme.President,
It is with deep regret that we have learned that the United States has completed the transfer of weapons and ammunition seized in the Gulf of Oman to the conflict zone in Ukraine. We should like to recall that there is no special regime for the inspection of vessels in international waters near Yemen and that such actions are not provided for in Security Council resolution 2216, to which the United States refers. We condemn the expansive interpretation of the provisions of UNSC resolutions on Yemen, including sanctions resolutions. We regard the Council's sanctions regime as an auxiliary mechanism for political settlement, rather than a means of punishment. Such irresponsible actions demonstrate that Washington still seeks to impose a "rules-based order" on the world, with the rules being formulated and adapted to suit the needs of the United States and its allies. Such selfish stubbornness and unwillingness to obey the norms of international law will not add to peace and security on our planet.
Thank you.
