Ms. Edem Wosornu, Director, Operations and Advocacy Division, on Behalf of Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, Mr. Martin Griffiths - Briefing to the Security Council on the Humanitarian Situation in Yemen

Madam President [Permanent Representative of Switzerland, H.E. Pascale Baeriswyl]

This is my first briefing to this Council in my role as Director of Operations and Advocacy. I look forward to closely engaging with all of you.

There are many hopes hinging on what is happening in Yemen.

Hope that, at long last, there could be an end to this terrible war, and for a sustainable peace agreement.

On behalf of Under-Secretary-General Griffiths, I want to commend the Special Envoy for the tireless work he is doing to make this hope a reality. I join him in urging the parties to seize this important opportunity.

In the meantime, Yemenis across the country are also hoping for other things: food on the table, a roof over their heads. The ability for their children to go to school or play outside without the fear of injury by landmines.

For millions of people, access to basic services, to safety and security, remain devastatingly out of reach.

But the humanitarian community remains absolutely committed to doing all it can to address these and other humanitarian needs in Yemen.

Madam President,

So far this year, aid agencies, in collaboration with hundreds of international non-governmental organizations and local Yemeni organizations, have reached more than 11 million people each month with humanitarian assistance.

In this first quarter of 2023, this includes, for example, the provision of food aid to nearly 10 million people per month, while almost one million have benefitted from better access to clean water, sanitation and hygiene support.

Two critical factors, however, continue to limit our ability to reach the people we are trying to help.

The first is access.

Humanitarians continue to face chronic access impediments, primarily in areas controlled by the Houthi de facto authorities. In particular, the ongoing restrictions on the movement of Yemeni female aid workers have severely disrupted the ability of agencies to operate and to reach those in need, particularly women and girls.

Likewise, obstacles to our ability to independently conduct assessments of humanitarian needs and contract services have caused prolonged delays and risk jeopardizing the quality of our response.

This comes on top of ongoing bureaucratic and administrative constraints, which have slowed and hampered our operations both in Houthi- and Government-controlled areas.

The humanitarian community has remained in constant contact with the parties in Yemen to resolve these issues and find ways to facilitate access. Improving the operational environment was a primary objective of the recent mission to Yemen of the Emergency Directors’ Group, a team of senior UN and NGO leaders, which concluded earlier this month. The group had frank, yet constructive, discussions on access that were productive, with both the de facto authorities and the Government of Yemen. We hope that this will be the beginning of a positive shift on access. We remind all parties, once again, of their obligation to facilitate rapid and unimpeded passage of humanitarian relief, in line with their obligations under international humanitarian law.

The second factor limiting our ability to reach people in need is funding.

Five months into the year and despite the generosity of many donors, around 80 per cent of the Yemen humanitarian appeal remains unfunded.

This shortfall is increasingly threatening our ability to provide lifesaving and livelihoods assistance.

Certain elements of the Yemen humanitarian appeal are being hit particularly hard. Support for migrants and refugees, for example, has received very limited support so far in 2023—although the needs of these communities are severe.

Economic times are hard, but we must once again urge donors to do what they can to fund the Yemen appeal.

More funding is also needed for the UN-coordinated SAFER oil tanker operation. I welcome the pledging event hosted by the UK and Netherlands on 4 May, at which an additional $8 million was raised. I hope further pledges are forthcoming to bridge the remaining funding gap and ensure the operation is fully funded. The replacement vessel arrived in Djibouti on 7 May. The salvage vessel, Ndeavor, is expected in Djibouti around 22 May and the operation is expected to begin before the end of the month. This is good news. But, Madam President,

While the humanitarian community is doing everything possible to save lives and stop the most acute forms of suffering, we cannot stop there.

As we tentatively look towards a future in which urgent humanitarian needs reduce, we must bolster Yemen’s ability to recover.

This is why the UN is working on a revised economic framework that addresses the broader economic drivers of humanitarian need in Yemen. We hope that this will promote increased focus and momentum around development programming.

This year, the humanitarian community is supporting these efforts through investment in two major areas: mine action and sustainable outcomes for displaced communities and returnees.

Mines and explosive remnants of war continue to kill and maim civilians, including women and children. And they will do so as long as they remain where they are. They prevent people from returning safely to their homes and earning a living, and they obstruct the re-establishment of essential services. Scaling up mine action programming is critical, including for economic and community recovery.

Support is also needed for displaced communities to resettle or return to their homes and reintegrate. People cannot continue to live year in and year out, in fear of eviction or discrimination or being forced to flee again. They – and the communities that host them – need sustainable solutions that allow them to restart their lives.

The humanitarian community is devoting senior capacity to advance these efforts. The engagement and support of donors is needed if they are to succeed.

Madam President,

I started my statement speaking about hope.

Hope is important. It contains the promise of a better future and inspires us to pursue the path towards it. But hope dies in the absence of action.

Now is the time for the parties, with the full support of the international community, to drive resolutely towards peace and an end to this conflict.

Meanwhile, the humanitarian community will continue to deliver aid to as many people in need as our resources and access allow. At the same time, we will also continue driving for progress on the economy, including through scaling up mine action and support for displacement-affected communities.

Thank you.