The situation in Yemen continues to deteriorate, warned Ambassador Dorothy Shea, U.S. Deputy Representative to the United Nations.
“In recent days, the Houthis have expanded their campaign of detaining innocent Yemenis, targeting more former embassy staff simply trying to do their jobs. They continue to hold UN, diplomatic and NGO staff rounded up over the summer, as well as the crew of the Galaxy Leader – now as de facto hostages for more than a year – while conducting armed raids in Sana’a.”
The United States believes the time has come to respond to the growing Houthi threat by holding Iran to account for enabling the Houthis’ long-range missile attacks on international shipping and on Israel, said Ambassador Shea.
“That is why we advocated for reauthorization language requiring the Secretary-General’s periodic reports to this Council include information about the provision of advanced weaponry being used in the increasingly sophisticated attacks. We also must take action to deprive the Houthis of illicit revenues that sustain their attacks and recognize the growing relationship between the Houthis and other terrorist groups like al-Shabaab, including through the use of targeted sanctions.”
Additionally, on January 8, U.S. armed forces conducted multiple precision strikes against two Houthi underground advanced conventional weapons storage facilities used to conduct attacks against U.S. Navy warships and merchant vessels.
“Despite what Russia says about these and past actions, the fact is these strikes were consistent with international law and were taken in the exercise of the United States’ inherent right to self-defense,” said Ambassador Shea.
Even as we grapple with Houthi threats, we must not lose sight of the fact that more than half of Yemen’s population remains in need of humanitarian assistance, said Ambassador Shea:
“So, the United States continues to support the work of the UN and our humanitarian partners who are delivering critical health, nutrition, water, sanitation, and hygiene assistance to the people of Yemen. We must collectively do more to support the humanitarian response in Yemen.”
“Houthi attacks must stop for Yemen to avoid worst case scenarios,” warned Ambassador Shea. “The Houthis are the primary impediment to greater international support and are jeopardizing the possibility of peace in Yemen.”
We must all work together to bring an end to the conflict in Yemen, said Ambassador Shea. But first, the Houthi attacks and detentions must end.
