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UN / YEMEN RED SEA ATTACKS
STORY: UN / YEMEN RED SEA ATTACKS
TRT: 5:15
SOURCE: UNIFEED
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH / NATS
DATELINE: 03 JANUARY 2023, NEW YORK CITY / FILE
FILE – NEW YORK CITY
1. Wide shot, exterior, United Nations Headquarters
03 JANUARY 2023, NEW YORK CITY
2. Wide shot, Security Council
3. SOUNDBITE (English) Khaled Khiari, Assistant Secretary-General for Middle East, Asia and the Pacific, Departments of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs and Peace Operations:
“The United Nations continues to warn against the adverse political, security, economic and humanitarian repercussions of military escalation in the Red Sea and the risk of exacerbating regional tensions. Continued Houthi threats to maritime navigation coupled with the risk of further military escalation remains of serious concern and could potentially impact millions in Yemen, the region and globally.”
4. Wide shot, Security Council
5. SOUNDBITE (English) Khaled Khiari, Assistant Secretary-General for Middle East, Asia and the Pacific, Departments of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs and Peace Operations:
“We reaffirm the importance of ensuring safety and security of maritime navigation in the region. In that regard, we also call for the immediate release of the “Galaxy Leader” and her crew which was seized by the Houthis on 19 November. We reiterate that such incidents originating from Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen must stop. No cause or grievance can justify continuation of these attacks against the freedom of navigation.”
6. Wide shot, Security Council
7. SOUNDBITE (English) Khaled Khiari, Assistant Secretary-General for Middle East, Asia and the Pacific, Departments of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs and Peace Operations:
“As to the overall situation in the region, we encourage all concerned parties to avoid further escalation and de-escalate tensions and threats. This is critical so that traffic through the Red Sea can return to its normal state and the risk of Yemen being dragged into a regional conflagration be avoided.”
8. Wide shot, Security Council
9. SOUNDBITE (English) Arsenio Dominguez, Secretary-General, International Maritime Organization:
“Attacks against international shipping in the Red Sea area are not acceptable. Ships must be allowed to trade worldwide unhindered and in accordance with international law.”
10. Wide shot, Security Council
11. SOUNDBITE (English) Arsenio Dominguez, Secretary-General, International Maritime Organization:
“The International Maritime Organization continues to closely monitor the situation and liaise with the industry representatives and navies. A significant numbers of companies, around 18 shipping companies have already decided to re-route their vessels around south Africa in order to reduce the attacks on vessels and the impact this has on seafarers in particular. This represents an additional 10 days to the journey and of course a negative impact on trade, and an increase in freight rates.”
12. Wide shot, Security Council
13. SOUNDBITE (English) Arsenio Dominguez, Secretary-General, International Maritime Organization:
“I would like to take this opportunity to reiterate the call for de-escalation to ensure safety of our seafarers, freedom of navigation and stability of supply chains. IMO will continue to monitor the situation in collaboration with our Member States, partners from the industry and navies.”
14. Med shot, US delegation
15. SOUNDBITE (Engilsh) Chris Lu, US Representative for UN Management and Reform:
“Today, in light of both the broad support for Council action and continued Houthi attacks, the United States believes that we are at an inflection point. These attacks pose grave implications for maritime security, international shipping, and commerce. And they undermine the fragile humanitarian situation in Yemen, damaging the ability of the international community to deliver assistance to more than 21 million people in need. It is vital that the Council speak – and speak now – on the need to uphold international law, as well as navigational rights and freedoms.”
16. Wide shot, Security Counci
17. SOUNDBITE (Engilsh) Chris Lu, US Representative for UN Management and Reform:
“The United States does not seek confrontation with Iran. Iran has a choice here: it can continue its current course or it can withhold its support – without which the Houthis would struggle to effectively track and strike commercial vessels navigating shipping lanes through the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden. Let’s remember that the provision of arms and related materiel of all types to the Houthis is a violation of this Council’s Resolution 2216. All Member States should adhere to their obligations under this resolution.”
18. Wide shot, Security Council
19. SOUNDBITE (English) Gilad Erdan, Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Israel:
“The Ayatollah regime is the number one global sponsor of terror. It is flagrantly violating Security Council resolutions 2231 and 2216. Iran is the architect of regional instability, and it is time to take real action and address the destructive role Iran plays.”
20. Wide shot, Security Council
21. SOUNDBITE (English) Gilad Erdan, Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Israel:
“If we remain idle in the face of the global security threat - that is Iran - then the Houthis are just the beginning of a dark future that we will be ushering in, a future in which terror organizations and terror regimes murder, maim and terrorize with impunity. And this will inspire terrorists around the globe. Let's act now.”
22. Wide shot, Security Council
UN Assistant Secretary-General Khaled Khiari told Security Council, “The United Nations continues to warn against the adverse political, security, economic and humanitarian repercussions of military escalation in the Red Sea and the risk of exacerbating regional tensions.”
The Assistant Secretary-General today (03 Jan) in New York spoke at a Council’s meeting on maintenance of international peace and security in the Red Sea.
He reiterated, “Continued Houthi threats to maritime navigation coupled with the risk of further military escalation remains of serious concern and could potentially impact millions in Yemen, the region and globally.”
Khiari noted that since this issue was last on the Council’s agenda on 18 December, the Houthis claimed responsibility for two attacks using naval missiles on the MSC United on 26 December and on the Maersk Hangzhou on 31 December. There have been reports of other intercepted Houthi attacks as well.
The Assistant Secretary-General shared the concerns of the Secretary-General of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) with respect to the need for the protection of the freedom of maritime navigation, and also about the potential impact of current attacks and disruptions to sea traffic in the Red Sea and environs on international trade.
He said, “We reaffirm the importance of ensuring safety and security of maritime navigation in the region.”
In that regard, Khiari also called for the “immediate release of the ‘Galaxy Leader’ and her crew which was seized by the Houthis on 19 November.”
The Assistant Secretary-General reiterated that “such incidents originating from Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen must stop. No cause or grievance can justify continuation of these attacks against the freedom of navigation.”
As to the overall situation in the region, Khiari encouraged all concerned parties to “avoid further escalation and de-escalate tensions and threats.”
He concluded, “This is critical so that traffic through the Red Sea can return to its normal state and the risk of Yemen being dragged into a regional conflagration be avoided.”
Arsenio Dominguez, Secretary-General of International Maritime Organization spoke to the Council via a video link.
He said, “Attacks against international shipping in the Red Sea area are not acceptable. Ships must be allowed to trade worldwide unhindered and in accordance with international law.”
The IMO Secretary-General reiterated, “The International Maritime Organization continues to closely monitor the situation and liaise with the industry representatives and navies,” adding that “around 18 shipping companies have already decided to re-route their vessels around south Africa in order to reduce the attacks on vessels and the impact this has on seafarers in particular. This represents an additional 10 days to the journey and of course a negative impact on trade, and an increase in freight rates.”
Dominguez also reiterated the call for “de-escalation to ensure safety of our seafarers, freedom of navigation and stability of supply chains.”
“IMO will continue to monitor the situation in collaboration with our Member States, partners from the industry and navies,” he said.
US Representative Chris Lu said, “Today, in light of both the broad support for Council action and continued Houthi attacks, the United States believes that we are at an inflection point.”
He continued, “These attacks pose grave implications for maritime security, international shipping, and commerce. And they undermine the fragile humanitarian situation in Yemen, damaging the ability of the international community to deliver assistance to more than 21 million people in need.”
The US Representative reiterated, “It is vital that the Council speak – and speak now – on the need to uphold international law, as well as navigational rights and freedoms.”
Lu also said, “The United States does not seek confrontation with Iran. Iran has a choice here: it can continue its current course, or it can withhold its support – without which the Houthis would struggle to effectively track and strike commercial vessels navigating shipping lanes through the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden.”
“Let’s remember that the provision of arms and related materiel of all types to the Houthis is a violation of this Council’s Resolution 2216. All Member States should adhere to their obligations under this resolution,” the US Representative added.
Israeli Ambassador Gilad Erdan also spoke at the Council.
He said, “The Ayatollah regime is the number one global sponsor of terror. It is flagrantly violating Security Council resolutions 2231 and 2216.”
“Iran is the architect of regional instability, and it is time to take real action and address the destructive role Iran plays,” Ambassador Erdan added.
He also said, “If we remain idle in the face of the global security threat - that is Iran - then the Houthis are just the beginning of a dark future that we will be ushering in, a future in which terror organizations and terror regimes murder, maim and terrorize with impunity. And this will inspire terrorists around the globe. Let's act now.”
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