The situation in the Middle East - Security Council, 9915th meeting

Yemen’s People ‘Need Aid, but They also Need Peace’, Says Under-Secretary-General, Urging Security Council Act to Ensure Respect for International Humanitarian Law

• Categories: Meetings & Events / Security Council
• Video Length: 01:38:58
• Production Date: 14 May 2025
• Asset Language: Arabic; English; French; Russian; Spanish; Chinese; Original
• Personal Subject: HANS GRUNDBERG; ABDULLAH ALI FADHEL AL-SAADI; THOMAS FLETCHER; EVANGELOS C. SEKERIS; EVANGELOS SEKERIS
• Corporate Name: SECURITY COUNCIL
• Subject Topical: ARMED CONFLICTS; HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE; MIDDLE EAST SITUATION; PERIODIC REPORTS; NEGOTIATION; POLITICAL MOVEMENTS; ARMED GROUPS; INTERNALLY DISPLACED PERSONS; PREVENTIVE DIPLOMACY; FOOD SHORTAGE; MEDIATION; YEMEN SITUATION; LEGITIMACY OF GOVERNMENTS
• Geographic Subject: YEMEN
• MAMS Id: 3396020
• Parent Id: 3394802
• Alternate Title: MTG SC 9915 YEMEN 14 MAY 2025 AM

Description

“While the frontlines may currently appear relatively stable, what Yemen has now is not peace,” said Hans Grundberg, Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for Yemen, briefing the 15-member organ. Welcoming the 6 May announcement of a cessation of hostilities between the United States and Ansar Allah, he said that meaningful de-escalation in the Red Sea and in the broader region is urgently needed to put Yemen back on the path to peace. 

Recent events — including Ansar Allah’s 4 May attack on Ben Gurion Airport and Israel’s subsequent strikes on Hudaydah Port, Sana’a Airport and other sites — underscore how deeply Yemen remains entangled in escalating regional tensions. 

Meanwhile, the country’s currency continues to deteriorate and prolonged power outages — up to 15 hours per day in Aden and total blackouts for weeks in Lahj and Abyan — are crippling daily life in Government-held areas. In areas under Ansar Allah control, civil servants remain unpaid, liquidity is drying up and repression of civil society voices is deepening. Mr. Grundberg condemned the arbitrary and prolonged detention of UN staff by Ansar Allah, urging their immediate, unconditional release. “Ansar Allah must change course,” he urged, calling on all parties to “be courageous and choose dialogue”. He also reaffirmed the UN’s unwavering commitment to supporting a negotiated settlement to the conflict. 

“Let’s be clear: Yemen is not out of the woods,” Tom Fletcher, Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator also told the Council today

Related Sites and Documents

UN Meetings Coverage