Statement by Ambassador James Kariuki, UK Deputy Permanent
Representative to the UN, at the UN Security Council meeting on
Yemen.
"I will make 3 points.
First, the United Kingdom condemns in the strongest terms the
detentions of at least 22 UN personnel by the Houthis, as well as
the forced entry into premises of the World Food Programme and
UNICEF, and the seizure of UN property.
I welcome this Council's strong condemnation of the detentions
through our Press Statement last week.
The safety and security of UN personnel, as well as the
inviolability of UN premises, must be guaranteed at all times.
We demand the immediate and unconditional release of all UN, NGO,
civil society and diplomatic mission personnel detained by the
Houthis, including those held since 2021.
Threats against humanitarian workers are unacceptable and risk
exacerbating an already dire humanitarian situation in Yemen.
Second, we condemn the ongoing and persistent Houthi aggression,
with continuing missile and drone attacks against Israel, and
against shipping in the Red Sea.
We are clear about Israel's right to self-defence against these
attacks. But this must be done in compliance with Israel's IHL
obligations, including the need to avoid damage to critical
civilian infrastructure.
We call on the Houthis to stop this reckless escalation, which
has already resulted in significant civilian casualties.
We urge all parties to exercise restraint.
And third, the UK reiterates our concern at the deteriorating
humanitarian situation in Yemen as set out by USG Fletcher.
The number of people who are food insecure is likely to rise to
over 18 million in the next six months.
And the UK has dedicated $79 million this year specifically to
address food insecurity.
We must work together to ensure that the international community
remains focused on the humanitarian response and to galvanise
donors to fill critical funding gaps.
We also encourage the UN to ensure that resources are prioritised
to mitigate the worst impacts of this looming crisis.
President, the UK remains resolute in our support to the efforts
of the Special Envoy and his team in charting a path towards
lasting stability and security in Yemen."
