Mr. Martin Griffiths, Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs & Emergency Relief Coordinator - Briefing to the Security Council on the humanitarian situation in Yemen, 13 May 2024

As prepared for delivery

Thank you, Mr. President.

I also thank Special Envoy Hans Grundberg for his update and for his tireless efforts to secure a lasting solution for the people of Yemen.

Mr. President,

My first briefing to the Security Council as Emergency Relief Coordinator, nearly three years ago now, in August 2021, was on Yemen. It seems fitting that I should speak to you on Yemen today for one of my last briefings.

During these last three years, there have been moments of great hope. The UN- brokered truce in 2022, and the resulting gains, is undoubtedly the brightest.

But Yemen is clearly not out of woods – far from it. Yemen remains a country where things have deteriorated quickly in the past, and where they can do so again.

Hunger, a defining menace of this crisis, continues to haunt the people of Yemen.

The modest improvements in food insecurity and malnutrition rates following the UN-brokered truce are all but gone.

And levels of severe food deprivation remain alarmingly high across the country and are expected to worsen further when the lean season starts in June.

The progress made by the World Food Programme on its retargeting pilot in Houthi- controlled areas is a positive development, but it must be built on.

Mr. President,

We are also deeply concerned about a rapidly worsening cholera outbreak.

40,000 suspected cases and over 160 deaths have so far been reported – a sharp increase since our update last month. The majority are in Houthi-controlled areas, where hundreds of new cases are reported every day.

Heavy rains and flooding are expected to exacerbate the situation further in the coming weeks.

The United Nations and our partners are taking urgent action to stem the spread of the disease.

This includes the development of a multi-cluster response plan in close collaboration with the authorities.

This plan will need rapid funding if we are to prevent the situation from spiraling out of control.

The consequences of inaction are sadly all too familiar. Let us not forget that not that long ago, between 2016 and 2021, some 4,000 people in Yemen – mostly children – lost their lives to a similar outbreak.

Mr. President,

In this context, I was pleased to see reaffirmation of the international community’s commitment and support for the people of Yemen at the Sixth Senior Officials’ Meeting held in Brussels last week.

Several donors used this opportunity to announce financial contributions, totaling $792 million.

We thank those donors for their generosity. This funding is critical for saving lives and addressing urgent humanitarian needs in Yemen in 2024.

Mr. President,

It is equally vital to make meaningful progress on essential conditions for Yemen to move beyond reliance on humanitarian assistance.

The first is stability and peace.

The conflict in Yemen has been the key driver of humanitarian needs. It has deeply undercut the country’s economy, decimated half of its health facilities, displaced millions of people, and allowed hunger and disease to fester.

In the past two years, there has been progress toward a comprehensive political settlement.

But this progress is fragile. It needs to be protected. It needs to be nurtured.

The last seven months of misery and pain in the wider region have added to instability in Yemen.

The attacks on vessels in and around the Red Sea have disrupted global trade routes and continue to threaten a wider conflagration.

Here allow me to stress that we cannot – we must not – let developments in the region and the Red Sea stand in the way of peace in Yemen.

That would be a terrible injustice and a tragedy for the people of Yemen.

I join Special Envoy Grundberg in urging all parties to prioritize de-escalation and dialogue.

Mr. President,

The other major driver of humanitarian needs in Yemen is the protracted economic crisis.

Even today, rapidly rising food and fuel prices continue to erode families’ purchasing power, plunging them further into hunger and despair.

So, the second priority must be to shore up Yemen’s economy.

The United Nations – under the leadership of the Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator, Julien Harneis – is doing its part.

We have developed a framework aimed at encouraging the creation of jobs and livelihood opportunities, and we are supporting economic reform at the national and local levels.

But the parties to the conflict need to do their part.

It is time to put an end to hostile economic measures and put the interests of the people of Yemen first.

Oil exports must be allowed to resume immediately.

This would stabilize the local currency and reinforce essential public services in Government-controlled areas.

And public sector employees across Yemen must be paid a living wage. It will simply be impossible to restore public services without doing so.

These clearly defined measures would go a long way towards reducing humanitarian needs, and enabling authorities in Yemen to resume responsibility for providing basic services.

Mr. President, Members of the Council,

As you know, Yemen is a place dear to my heart.

It pains me to see its people being dealt one blow after another. And that many of the things I called for in that first briefing to the Council three years ago are still relevant today:

The protection of civilians. Unhindered humanitarian access. Funding for the aid operation. More support for the economy. And, of course, progress towards a lasting peace.

After almost 10 years of grueling conflict and overwhelming odds, the people of Yemen deserve a break for the better.

I continue to believe that progress is possible – the opportunity is there.

It will require the sustained attention and support of the international community if it is to be realized.

I urge this Council to do everything in its power to help the people of Yemen seize that opportunity for a brighter future.

Thank you.