Ghada Eltahir Mudawi, Deputy Director, Operations and Advocacy Division, Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs Statement to the Security Council 17 April 2023 [EN/AR]

[As prepared for delivery]

Mr. President,
This month marks one year since the announcement of the UN-brokered truce in Yemen.

Even beyond its expiry in October, the truce provided precious relief for civilians after many grim years of war and ignited hope that an end to the conflict could be closer on the horizon.

Today, as Hans mentioned, there is an unprecedented opportunity to make more progress towards peace. If seized, this could help to dramatically improve people’s lives and reduce their suffering.

Mr. President,

Over recent weeks, we have seen the continued easing of import restrictions. This has allowed more commercial goods into the country, which Yemenis rely on to survive.

In March, the UN Verification and Inspection Mechanism cleared 41 ships bound for the Red Sea ports, carrying 825,000 metric tons of commercial food, fuel and other goods – double the amounts recorded in January.

We also have good news to report on the SAFER oil tanker.

In a major milestone for the UN-coordinated operation to address the threat posed by the FSO SAFER, a replacement vessel – the Nautica – set sail for Yemen on 6 April. It is expected to arrive in the Red Sea area in the first half of May.

Efforts are ongoing to mobilize the additional funding needed for the project.

On 4 May, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom will host a donor conference, which we hope will bridge the remaining gap.

Meanwhile, a $20 million loan has been made available from the Central Emergency Response Fund to enable the start of the on-water operation next month and avoid any delays while further contributions come in.

Mr. President,

These positive developments come not a moment too soon for the people of Yemen, who face multiple and severe humanitarian threats.

Across the country, more than 21 million people need emergency assistance.

Events in recent weeks have added to this already massive humanitarian caseload.

Torrential rains have affected over 100,000 people countrywide. The humanitarian impact has so far been relatively limited, but forecasts indicate worse weather is yet to come.

While there has not been a major resurgence in fighting, escalating clashes in Ma’rib and Shabwah have displaced nearly 10,000 people since early March.

Preventable diseases like measles and polio are spreading at a dangerous pace, putting Yemen’s youngest at even higher risk. We fear these outbreaks could deteriorate fast, especially in Houthi-controlled areas where we are seeing increasing impediments to immunization, as well as misinformation that is fueling vaccine skepticism.

Aid agencies are doing everything they can to respond, including by taking action to anticipate and prepare for risks before they materialize.

At the same time, work is also under way to provide better conditions so that people will be able to restart their lives and livelihoods once the fighting finally stops. To this end, the humanitarian community is scaling up efforts on mine action and support for displaced communities to integrate, resettle or return to their homes.

Last year, funding enabled the humanitarian community to avert the worst. And by the end of 2022, we saw a reduction in the number of people facing severe food insecurity, from 19 million to 17 million.

These gains, however, could easily be lost in the absence of sustained funding.

So we urge donors to quickly disburse commitments made at the pledging event in February, and to urgently scale up support.

We know this is no small ask amid tightening budgets and rising demands. And we know donors have concerns about growing restrictions and interference, especially in Houthi-controlled areas.

Mr. President, this brings me to my next point: the challenging operating environment in Yemen.

Over the past month, the humanitarian community has continued to make progress in reaching underserved areas.

UN agencies are opening an office in Ta’iz and conducting missions to remote locations across the country.

These are all positive steps. But they come against the backdrop of large and chronic access impediments.

So far in 2023, aid agencies have reported 628 access constraints. Most of these are in Houthi-controlled areas, and they include movement restrictions and interference in needs assessments and contracting. Incidents have also been reported in Government-held areas, including related to the issuance of work permits.

While the vast majority of these incidents are resolved following engagement by the humanitarian community, they cause undue delays to critical missions and impede the timely delivery of aid.

I regret to say that one area where little progress has been made is on the issue of movement restrictions for Yemeni female aid workers in Houthi-controlled areas.

Current restrictions continue to hinder Yemeni female staff from participating in vital humanitarian activities. And this in turn severely impedes the provision of critical services that can only be delivered by women, while also undercutting our ability to reach the most vulnerable communities.

All of our staff – including female staff – are essential to humanitarian operations. This is true in Yemen as it is elsewhere.

They must be able to move freely and without impediment, both inside and out of the country.

We also regularly contend with other types of restrictions and directives that hamper humanitarian movements.

On 24 March, the Houthi de facto authorities announced significant limitations on UN and humanitarian flights to and from Sana’a. They attributed this decision to issues related to international commercial flights.

Following extensive negotiations led by the Humanitarian Coordinator, there is agreement for UNHAS flights to resume three days a week.

We reiterate our call to the parties to the conflict, especially the Houthi de facto authorities, to uphold their obligations under international humanitarian law, including by facilitating the rapid and unimpeded passage of humanitarian relief and ensuring freedom of movement for humanitarian personnel so they can execute their essential functions.

Furthermore, insecurity continues to pose a major challenge, especially in Government-controlled areas.

At least two carjackings have taken place since our last briefing, on the West Coast and in Abyan.

In Sana’a, two UN staff remain detained since November 2021. And the five UN staff abducted in Abyan last year remain missing – 14 months later. We call for their immediate release, and for the protection of all humanitarian staff.

Mr. President,

While funding and access are critical to the immediate aid operation, we must also prepare for the long run.

This means addressing the underlying drivers of humanitarian need, including Yemen’s deteriorating economy – itself a product of the conflict.

A critical part of this work is protecting the flow of commercial imports.

I mentioned earlier some encouraging progress in this regard. However, we remain concerned about certain continued obstructions, particularly to the overland transport of commercial goods from Government- to Houthi-controlled areas.

Beyond commercial imports, much more must be done to stabilize Yemen’s economy, such as strengthening people’s incomes, scaling up demining efforts and restoring basic services. The resumption of oil exports from Government-held areas is also critical, including for strengthening foreign currency reserves.

Mr. President,

To recap, we need urgent and unequivocal action on three points: increased funding, unimpeded access and investments to stabilize the economy.

But more than anything, Yemenis need lasting peace. Now is the time to deliver it.

Thank you.