The Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for Yemen Hans Grundberg urged the Security Council Tuesday to support efforts to de-escalate fighting towards a nationwide ceasefire, advance political talks and economic stabilization, and work with regional and international partners to prevent the country from being drawn deeper into the Middle East conflict.
Envisioning a country that is at peace with itself and the region, Mr. Grundberg in his monthly briefing to the Security Council, reiterated the three priorities to lay the groundwork for lasting solutions in Yemen.
He first called for supporting de-escalation on the frontlines and working with parties toward an active ceasefire. He also called for establishing a path for talks in line with the December 2023 Roadmap — UN-facilitated framework agreed upon by key Yemeni parties — including reopening key roads and facilitating trade. His third priority is to work with regional and international partners for stability, including Red Sea security and compliance with the UN arms embargo.
Grundberg called the Houthi rebels to release unconditionally and immediately of the 23 UN detainees alongside those from national and international NGOs, civil society organizations and diplomatic missions who remain in a desperate situation.
Speaking to the Security Council at the same session Ramesh Rajasingham, Director of the Coordination Division and Head and Representative of the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs in Geneva said: “More than 17 million people - in Yemen-are going hungry — which could rise to over 18 million by February 2026 — with women and children bearing the brunt”.
Urging financial support for these efforts, he added: “Humanitarian assistance can work to keep people alive, but only a political solution can make them safe.”
The representative of the United States urged financial support for the United Nations Verification and Inspection Mechanism for Yemen (UNVIM). “The fact that the Houthis asked the UN Secretary-General to abolish UNVIM points to its effectiveness in preventing illicit shipments of weapons to the Houthis,” she said.
“We are alarmed by the unprecedented food insecurity and worsening humanitarian situation for internally displaced persons,” said the speaker for the Republic of Korea, pledging to provide 23,000 metric tons of rice in 2025 through World Food Programme (WFP) to help alleviate nutritional deficiencies among refugees and internally displaced communities. Agreeing, Denmark’s delegate said that “more must be done to meet the rising humanitarian needs”. His country has donated more than $215 million in humanitarian response since the beginning of the conflict, he added.
However, “such assistance alone cannot resolve the country’s multifaceted crisis”, said the representative of Guyana. She therefore emphasized the importance of implementing sustainable economic recovery mechanisms to promote long-term stability in Yemen, also underscoring that “any further delay in resuming comprehensive political dialogue will only deepen divisions and prolong the suffering of the Yemeni people”.
Pakistan’s delegate added that the implementation of the December 2023 road map has been “painfully slow”, highlighting the urgency of breaking the current stalemate through renewed political will and concrete steps towards an inclusive peace process and political settlement.