UN / YEMEN

Special Envoy for Yemen Hans Grundberg reiterated that the "unacceptable arrests" of UN staff, the forced entry into UN premises, and the seizure of UN property, "endanger the UN’s very ability to advance peace efforts and deliver humanitarian support to the Yemeni people.” UNIFEED

• Video Length: 00:04:56
• Production Date: 15 September 2025
• Asset Language: English; Arabic
• Personal Subject: HANS GRUNDBERG
• Corporate Name: OFFICE FOR THE COORDINATION OF HUMANITARIAN AFFAIRS - OCHA
• Subject Topical: YEMEN SITUATION; DETAINED PERSONS; HUMANITARIAN CRISIS
• Geographic Subject: MIDDLE EAST
• MAMS Id: 3447198
• Parent Id: 3446865
• Alternate Title: unifeed250915b

Description

STORY: UN / YEMEN
TRT: 4:56
SOURCE: UNIFEED
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH / NATS

DATELINE: 15 SEPTEMBER 2025, NEW YORK CITY / FILE

Shotlist

FILE – NEW YORK CITY

1.Wide shot, exterior, United Nations Headquarters

15 SEPTEMBER 2025, NEW YORK CITY

2. Various shots, Security Council
3. SOUNDBITE (English) Hans Grundberg, Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for Yemen:
“The latest wave of arbitrary detentions of 22 United Nations staff in Sana’a and Hudaydah is an egregious escalation by Ansar Allah against the United Nations. While one staff member has recently been released, there are now over 40 UN personnel detained, in addition to a colleague who died while in detention. The United Nations and all its staff serve under the principles of impartiality, integrity, and respect for human rights and dignity. Their unacceptable arrests, the forced entry into UN premises, and the seizure of UN property - in violation of international law - endangers the UN’s very ability to advance peace efforts and deliver humanitarian support to the Yemeni people. I want to thank this esteemed Council for its strong statement condemning these actions.”
4. Wide shot, Security Council
5. SOUNDBITE (English) Hans Grundberg, Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for Yemen:
“The consequences of war would be devastating for Yemen and the wider region. We must therefore continue efforts to de-escalate tension along the frontlines and maintain a meaningful security dialogue with all relevant actors. The productive engagement by Government of Yemen’s military representatives as well as those from the wider region, under the auspices of the Military Coordination Committee, remains vital for maintaining open lines of communication and confidence building among the parties. The opening and securing of some of the key roads across the country in the last year demonstrate that cooperation is possible. We must continue to build on these entry points.”
6. Med shot, Yemen delegation at the Council
7. SOUNDBITE (English) Hans Grundberg, Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for Yemen:
“My message to all Yemeni leaders is that the UN remains committed to working with you towards de-escalation, dialogue and a long term, Yemeni-led inclusive political settlement. This is how we can ensure stability and prosperity for Yemen. It is possible - but it requires a conscious step back from where we are now. I want to thank the members of this Council again for their united and steadfast support for this goal. And for your role in supporting an agreement that is credible for Yemenis, supported by the region and insulated from wider geopolitical shocks.”
8. Wide shot, Security Council
9. SOUNDBITE (English) Tom Fletcher, Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator:
“Rising food prices, security threats to our work, a collapsing economy, and persistent conflict have made Yemen the third most food insecure country on earth. Before February next year, 1 million more people are expected to be forced into extreme hunger – joining 17 million Yemenis with too little to eat. This includes more than 40,000 people in the catastrophic phase of food insecurity.”
10. Wide shot, Security Council
11. SOUNDBITE (English) Tom Fletcher, Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator:
“I remain gravely concerned by the continued hostilities between the parties resulting in scores of casualties and damaged critical infrastructure. Air strikes against Sana’a and Al Jawf since the last Council briefing are reported to have resulted in more than 300 casualties. International humanitarian law must be respected; civilians and civilian objects must be protected.”
12. Wide shot, Security Council
13. SOUNDBITE (English) Tom Fletcher, Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator:
“It is outrageous, at a time when humanitarians are trying to serve the Yemeni people while beset by funding cuts, that our operational capacity is being further and needlessly jeopardized. Detaining staff, humanitarian staff does not help the people of Yemen. It does not feed the hungry, heal the sick, nor protect those displaced by floods or fighting. UN and humanitarian personnel must be protected to do their jobs and to save lives.”
14. Wide shot, Security Council
15. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Abdullah Ali Fadhel Al-Saadi, Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Yemen:
“The Yemeni government welcomes all serious initiatives to end the war and address the humanitarian crisis. We call upon the Council and the international community to assume their responsibilities and take firmer stances towards the Houthi militias so that they accept peace and abandon the claim of divine right to rule Yemenis. They think that they are above man and they do not want to serve the interests of the Yemeni peoples. They have to stop their terrorist practices that are destabilizing Yemen and the region. This is a flagrant violation of all international agreements and the principle of international humanitarian law. The source funding must be removed.”
16. Wide shot, Security Council

Storyline

Special Envoy for Yemen Hans Grundberg reiterated that the “unacceptable arrests” of UN staff, the forced entry into UN premises, and the seizure of UN property – “in violation of international law - endanger the UN’s very ability to advance peace efforts and deliver humanitarian support to the Yemeni people.”

Grundberg today (15 Sep) briefed the Council on the situation in Yemen. He highlighted the latest wave of arbitrary detentions of 22 United Nations staff in Sana’a and Hudaydah is “an egregious escalation” by Ansar Allah against the United Nations.

He told Council Members that while one staff member has recently been released, there are now over 40 UN personnel detained, in addition to a colleague who died while in detention.

Turning to the frontlines in Yemen, while relative stability continues to hold, recent military activity in areas such as Al Dhale’ Ma’rib and Ta’iz serve as a warning that miscalculations from either party could trigger a return to full-scale conflict, the Special Envoy noted.

He said, “The consequences of war would be devastating for Yemen and the wider region,” stressing “we must therefore continue efforts to de-escalate tension along the frontlines and maintain a meaningful security dialogue with all relevant actors.”

The productive engagement by Government of Yemen’s military representatives as well as those from the wider region, under the auspices of the Military Coordination Committee, “remains vital for maintaining open lines of communication and confidence building among the parties,” Grundberg added.

He continued, “The opening and securing of some of the key roads across the country in the last year demonstrate that cooperation is possible. We must continue to build on these entry points.”

Grundberg emphasized, “My message to all Yemeni leaders is that the UN remains committed to working with you towards de-escalation, dialogue and a long term, Yemeni-led inclusive political settlement.”

“This is how we can ensure stability and prosperity for Yemen. It is possible - but it requires a conscious step back from where we are now,” the Special Envoy added.

He thanked the members of the Council for their “united and steadfast” support for this goal. “And for your role in supporting an agreement that is credible for Yemenis, supported by the region and insulated from wider geopolitical shocks,” Grundberg concluded.

For his part, UN humanitarian chief Tom Fletcher stressed, “Rising food prices, security threats to our work, a collapsing economy, and persistent conflict have made Yemen the third most food insecure country on earth.”

He told Council members that before February next year, one million more people are expected to be forced into extreme hunger – joining 17 million Yemenis with too little to eat. This includes more than 40,000 people in the catastrophic phase of food insecurity.

Fletcher also remained “gravely concerned” by the continued hostilities between the parties resulting in scores of casualties and damaged critical infrastructure.

Air strikes against Sana’a and Al Jawf since the last Council briefing are reported to have resulted in more than 300 casualties, he noted.

The top UN humanitarian stressed, “International humanitarian law must be respected; civilians and civilian objects must be protected.”

Fletcher also stated that the UN has a duty to its staff to take every reasonable measure to mitigate the risks they face.

He said, “It is outrageous, at a time when humanitarians are trying to serve the Yemeni people while beset by funding cuts, that our operational capacity is being further and needlessly jeopardized.”

“Detaining staff, humanitarian staff does not help the people of Yemen. It does not feed the hungry, heal the sick, nor protect those displaced by floods or fighting,” Fletcher added.

The top UN humanitarian reiterated, “the UN and humanitarian personnel must be protected to do their jobs and to save lives.”

For his part, Yemeni Ambassador Abdullah Ali Fadhel Al-Saadi said that his government “welcomes all serious initiatives to end the war and address the humanitarian crisis.”

Ambassador Al-Saadi called upon the Council and the international community to “assume their responsibilities and take firmer stances towards the Houthi militias so that they accept peace and abandon the claim of divine right to rule Yemenis.”

He continued, “They think that they are above man and they do not want to serve the interests of the Yemeni peoples. They have to stop their terrorist practices that are destabilizing Yemen and the region.”

“This is a flagrant violation of all international agreements and the principle of international humanitarian law. The source funding must be removed,” Ambassador Al-Saadi concluded.